Census provides brief jobs boost and story angles

By Flickr user Melinda Shelton

Fourteen bucks an hour, fresh air and lots of friendly chit-chat – what more does a job-seeker want?

Well, perhaps the lot of census takers and other temp hires associated with the decennial count won’t be quite so idyllic – but for hundreds of thousands of workers this spring, it’ll be better than no job at all.

With census forms expected to hit mailboxes in March, and due back to the bureau by April 1, hiring of door-to-door surveyors who will follow up on non-responders is revving into full swing.  The U.S. Department of Commerce and Census Bureau say that 1.2 million positions will be filled, with most hiring taking place in March and April.

Keep in mind that figure doesn’t necessarily represent 1.2 million jobs; some people will be charged with filling multiple roles.  And analysts say that the bump won’t have any lasting effect on the consumer spending so desperately needed to prod the economy. Still, the every-10-years household survey will provide a welcome if temporary boost to our dismal job market, and many people in your audience are hungry for census employment news.

Get started on this story by reviewing the 2010 Census home page;  it outlines key dates in the timelines and offers context, history and answers to FAQs.

For the most pertinent information, you’ll want to contact your regional census offices.  There’s an interactive map on the site with pointers to local bureaus, qualifications and information on applying for the temporary jobs.

It’s important to point out that wages vary by locale, even within a state.  Workers in Texas, for example, will earn $17.50 an hour in Dallas, $14 an hour in San Antonio and $11.50 in outposts like Laredo.  (Be interesting to find out whether anyone’s heading to a larger market to chase the higher wage.)

To find local payment rates, click a state on the map and then click on the individual blue pointers; a pop-up window will disclose the hourly wage for workers hired by that office.

While the extra paychecks will doubtless come in handy at the household level, analysts offer varying opinions as to the macro effect of census spending.  Here’s a federal GAO report from last year estimating that, at $14 billion, this will be the most expensive census in history, even adjusting for inflation.  The report is a bit wonkish but offers valuable insight into census operations – some of which, like marketing campaigns and information technology, might translate into revenue for local businesses you cover.

The Commerce Department is spinning the census as a boost to the economy; here’s a report released last week that predicts a slight boost to second-quarter GDP.

Other analysts say it will barely be a blip on the radar screen in contrast to the nation’s huge jobless woes; here’s a critique from Seeking Alpha that does a great job of deconstructing wage effect, pointing out that income and payroll taxes will erode consumption, and that the part-time nature of the work makes census hiring equal to fewer than 200,000 real jobs.

Two last angles:  the Census Bureau is recruiting corporate and non-profit partners to spread the message and help in its ‘complete count’ goal; you might check to see if any local companies or prominent business leaders are involved.

And an AP report earlier this month detailed massive waste and fraud related to preliminary census hiring; a local follow-up would make a great ‘your tax dollars’ story.