Utah gears up for Census

Has the U.S. Census Bureau got a deal for you: In tough economic times, it is seeking to hire 1,000 Utahns for temporary jobs.

At the same time, it is encouraging Utahns to stand up and be counted in the census next year to ensure Utah receives its fair share of funding.

"These are good-paying jobs, flexible hours, and you are able to work close to home. And I'm tempted to put my application in," said Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert at the grand opening Tuesday of the Salt Lake City Census office.

The once-every-10-years census will be conducted on April 1, 2010. But preparations are now under way. The bureau is in the process of hiring 1,000 temporary workers to check addresses beginning in April for about three months to verify and build mailing lists for the census.

Those interested may apply by calling toll-free, 866-861-2010. Applicants need a driver's license, must undergo a background check and need to take a short test on basic skills. People who are bilingual are especially sought.

The Census Bureau also is trying to educate the public about the upcoming count and build support for it. The bureau used Tuesday's grand opening to help with speeches by local politicians, religious leaders and academics.

"The 2010 Census is easy: 10 questions that we think will take about 10 minutes to fill out for a 10-year investment in your community," said Mark Hellfritz, assistant regional director for the Denver region of the Census Bureau.

He noted that the federal government uses results to distribute more than $300 billion to communities nationwide each year, so residents should realize that "filling out the questionnaire is like writing a check to my community."

The census also helps decide a state's power by determining how many members it will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. If Utah had just another 80 people counted during the 2000 Census, it would have picked up a fourth House seat. Instead, the last-available House seat went to North Carolina. That came while many Utahns did not respond to the census that year.

"With a short-form-only census this time, our challenge is to raise our response rate (in Utah) from 68 percent to over 70 percent," Hellfritz said.

Herbert added that Utah was the fastest-growing state in the nation in recent years according to surveys, so he hopes all Utahns will participate and be counted to help bring the state a deserved growing share of federal funding based on population. He and others noted that information provided to the census is confidential.