Census follow-up process to begin soon

The U.S. Census Bureau will begin to follow-up on May 1, with the 28 percent of households in the United States who did not return their questionnaire by mail. Census takers will visit a household several times in an effort to get the basic information on the 10 questions on the 2010 Census.

When a census taker visits a home, he or she will try to collect the information by interviewing an adult member of the household. If a census taker cannot contact a household after repeated attempts, they will seek information in any way possible to estimate the number of people living in the home. Dennis R. Johnson, regional director of the U.S. Census Bureau, stated "I encourage the public to cooperate with census takers when they are working in your neighborhood. The 2010 Census is not yet completed and this work is vital to our efforts to get a complete and accurate count of everyone living in your community." These follow-up operations will be conducted by official census takers. An official census taker must present an ID badge with a Department of Commerce seal and expiration date; may be carrying a bag with a U.S. Census Bureau logo; will provide you with their supervisor's phone number and/or the local census office phone number for verification.

The 2010 Census is a huge undertaking that also provides temporary employment opportunities for local residents interested in working on the census. Census jobs offer good pay, flexible hours and paid training while performing an important public service. Best of all, those hired may work in their own community.

According to a press release, Census jobs are perfect summer jobs for teachers, students (over 18 years old), retirees, and just about anyone interested in earning some extra money. Interested applicants must be U.S. citizens, 18 years or older, have a valid Social Security Card, and be available to work 20 to 40 hours a week. Applicants must take a basic skills test and pass a background check. Interested persons should call (866) 861-2010 to find out how and where to apply for a job working on the 2010 Census.

The 2010 Census is an actual count of everyone living in the United States and it is mandated by the U.S. Constitution. Census data is used to allocate congressional seats to the states and to distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to tribal, state and local governments each year.