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Federal census will bring flurry of jobs to SouthCoast By Brian Boyd bboyd@s-t.com January 07, 2010 12:00 AM The local economy will be getting a different kind of federal stimulus package for the new year: Government officials plan to hire close to 1,000 temporary census workers in Bristol and Plymouth counties this spring to reach people who do not return their 2010 federal census forms. "We're going to start hiring in earnest in late March and April, but the first step is people have to fill out a formal application," said J. Michael Tholl, office manager for the U.S. Census Bureau's New Bedford office. The national count is required every 10 years by the Constitution, and the results are used to divvy up political representation and federal aid. So cities and towns can benefit from a thorough counting of all of their residents. The federal government will mail or deliver census questionnaires to households in March. Between April and July, census takers will visit households that did not send back the questionnaire by mail. Even as census officials look to hire more people, federal, state and local officials are trying to raise awareness about the census and encourage people to return the questionnaires by mail. If more people return their forms, census workers will have to visit fewer homes, saving taxpayer money. People who are interested in census jobs are encouraged to start the application process now, because they will have to take a multiple-choice, basic skills test to determine their math, reading and map-reading abilities. They also will have to submit to a background check. The part-time jobs pay $12 to $16 an hour, plus mileage expenses for workers who drive, and the positions could last four to eight weeks, according to census officials. The New Bedford office is receiving 90 to 100 calls a day from job seekers, who can reach the local office through (866) 861-2010, Tholl said. The Census Bureau wants to amass a large pool of applicants to make sure they get qualified workers who are familiar with the areas that they will canvass, he said. "We want people to work in the neighborhoods where they reside," he said. The Greater New Bedford Career Center is offering job seekers information on census job openings and providing space for the required tests. The positions could benefit people who are currently unemployed. "I think the timing is perfect in the fact that a lot of people will have the opportunity to at least temporarily return to the work force," said John Whalen, a business services representative for the career center. Besides the anticipated hiring, census officials are reaching out to local officials, business leaders, faith-based organizations and immigrant groups to promote the census. "Our basic premise is to get the trusted voices in a community out there alerting their constituency about the census and its importance," said Bruce A. Kaminski, deputy regional director at the Boston Regional Census Center. For example, the Census Bureau has partnership specialists who link up with community groups and seek their help in census-related efforts, such as setting up local questionnaire assistance centers, Kaminski said. The bureau also is trying to reach out to college students, to explain that the government wants them to fill out the forms where they live, even if it's campus housing or an off-campus apartment they share with other students, he said. Mayor Scott W. Lang wants to make sure everyone in New Bedford is counted so the city gets its share of federal assistance, and he said he is planning this week to have everyone involved on the local level to review progress on the effort. Lang said he expects to have the assistance of community organizations in getting the word out about the census. "You need your community groups that are on the street level, your neighborhood churches, neighborhood nonprofits, neighborhood clubs and organizations, to be involved and understand the census is very important for the quality of life in the city," he said. The Inter-Church Council of Greater New Bedford has been making local churches aware of the census, said the Rev. David A. Lima, the council's executive minister. "We feel it's very important that we do what we can to get people counted," Lima said. Officials in other communities also are cooperating with federal census officials. Dartmouth has a display in its Town Hall raising awareness about the federal census, Town Clerk Lynn M. Medeiros said. Looking ahead, Medeiros has ideas for other ways to educate people about the census. She wants to distribute information on the census to some of the local schools, so children can bring the materials home to their parents, and she plans to work with the cable access station to promote the census. She also would like a volunteer to help the elderly at the Council on Aging with questions about filling out the form. "We are working hand in hand with the local federal census people," Medeiros said. 227 Union Street, Suite 206, New Bedford, MA 02740-5946 PH 508.979.1504 • FAX 508.979.5680 E-mail: Webmaster@gnbwib.org |