Census jobs provide short but welcome opportunity

[Indi Guy]

Source: USA Today

WASHINGTON (AP) — As census workers gear up to count us, they are counting themselves lucky to be employed.
This once-a-decade temporary work force is giving a timely boost to the battered job market. Census workers accounted for nearly a third of the jobs added in March, when hiring occurred at the fastest pace in three years.

Over the next two months, another 600,000 to 700,000 census jobs will be added, putting $10 to $25 an hour into the pockets of some desperate job seekers.

Although these jobs will only last through mid-July, economists say they will provide a fortuitous stream of income to families and act as an employment bridge until summer, when more private employers are expected to ramp up hiring...



Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2010-04-03-economy-census-jobs_N.htm

[DJ13]

1. Im glad those jobs are there for people

But I wish the government would stop including these known short term jobs into the labor stats, as it distorts the economic reality we'll still be facing after July when those jobs just vaporize.

[eleny]

2. I signed up for the test but decided not to take it

With my experience I would have been a natural and have no doubt that I would have been hired.

But I'm retired and just don't need the job. So I canceled and hope someone else is now working there and that maybe it'll lead to a permanent position with the agency.

[Delphinus]

5. I really appreciate

your sentiments here - thank you! :thumbsup:

[No Elephants]

3. I'd be terrified to take one of these jobs for fear I'd write "Fed" on my chest, then kill myself.

Or something.

I would not take one of these jobs in Tea Party heaven for all the tea in China.

[bluestateguy]

4. Back in 2000 they couldn't give those jobs away

They had shortages of people to work for the Census and jobs they could not fill.

[OnlinePoker]

6. That's a big disparity in wages

It goes from good living wage to working poor.

[izquierdista]

7. $25 an hour?

Not without some serious fraud. In our office, it's $11.50 an hour for enumerators plus 50 cents a mile for an 8 week assignment.

[rainbow4321]

8. Each city pays different

I had looked on their website for a co worker who was looking for another way to bring some $$ in. When I clicked on the different cities, there were different hourly rates. I don't know how they determine what city gets which rates but, yeah, there were some in the low teens/hour and other in the $20-something range.

[eridani]

9. It depends on the COLA of your city or region.

In Seattle, the pay is $17.50/hour.