Polk County residents looking for work may be able to find temporary employment with the U.S. Census Bureau.

The bureau is looking for workers in Polk and Rutherford counties to help with Census 2010. Interested residents are required to take a test. If accepted, they could begin work in mid February, according to Ann Jenkins, who is working with Census 2010 in Rutherford County.

Jenkins says part-time and full-time employment will be available, lasting between 8 to 10 weeks. She says the federal government is seeking people to work in the county they live in to take advantage of their local knowledge.

Census 2010 involves a wide variety of jobs. The required test helps determine which jobs are best suited for each applicant.

Jenkins says anyone interesting in working with the Census can call 1-704-644-6220 and make an appointment to take the test. People can apply any time between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The U.S. Census Bureau has advised that it plans to hire about 5,000 people across North Carolina for the census, according to Jenkins.

A Census 2010 brochure also advised that prospective candidates can call 1-866-861-2010 for more information.

The following provides details about the census work from the brochure released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Your community&squo;s involvement is important and you can help

In spring 2009 and in early 2010, several thousand temporary census jobs will be available for qualified applicants. Assignments will last 5 to 10 weeks. Bilingual applicants are encouraged to apply. The 2010 Census is your opportunity to be part of something exciting and challenging that will have a direct impact on your community.

It&squo;s an important job and an exciting opportunity

By working on the 2010 Census, you&squo;ll help the federal government to:

&ull; Apportion the seats in the House of Representatives

&ull; Draw state legislative districts

&ull; Distribute more than $300 billion annually in federal, state, local and tribal funds

&ull; Evaluate the success of community programs

&ull; Identify populations that might be open and responsive to new services

&ull; Determine sites for new businesses

Census positions are temporary

Conducting a census requires us to fill a wide variety of positions. For the 2010 Census, thousands of census takers are needed for temporary jobs. These employees conduct interviews with community residents and update addresses. Most positions require a driver&squo;s license and use of a vehicle.

What do the jobs pay?

Census jobs pay competitive wages in your area. Also, census workers are reimbursed for authorized expenses, such as mileage.

Will you use a computer?

For the address listing operation, census takers will use hand-held computers in the field to verity addresses. you will be paid for training.

What is the work schedule?

For census taker and crew leader jobs, work schedules vary. In the field, some census operations require you to work during daylight hours. For other operations, which require interviewing the public, you must be available to work when people are usually at home. This includes evening and weekends.

For office jobs, hours are less variable, but can involved shift work.

Will you be hired?

Due to the nature of census work, a large number of people apply and take the employment test. Not everyone who is qualified will be hired. Applicants who are selected will be called when jobs are available.

You may qualify if …

&ull; You are a U.S. citizen

&ull; You are not a U.S. citizen, and only if no U.S. citizens are available, especially in areas where bilingual ability is a necessary qualification.

&ull; You are at least 18 years old

&ull; You have a valid social security number

&ull; You take a written test of basic skills

&ull; You pass a background check

&ull; You have&bsp; valid driver&squo;s license (for field jobs only)

&ull; You commit to 3.5 days of training. You will be paid for these days at your regular hourly rate. Training will be held either during daytime hours or during evening and weekend hours.

About the employment test

The employment test consists of 28 multiple-choice questions designed to measure the skills and abilities required to perform a variety of census jobs, such as:

&ull; Clerical skills

&ull; Reading

&ull; Number skills

&ull; Interpreting information and evaluation alternatives

&ull; Organizational skills

You will have 30 minutes to complete the test. You may retake the test if you would like to improve your score.

What identification do you need?

Bring to the testing session one form of identification from List A or B and one from List C.

List A

&ull; U.S. passport (unexpired or expired)

&ull; Permanent Resident Card or Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I551).

&ull; An unexpired foreign passport with a temporary I-551 stamp.

&ull; An unexpired Employment Authorization Document that contains a photograph.

&ull; Form I-766, I-688, I-688A, I-688B

&ull; An unexpired foreign passport with an unexpired Arrival-Departure Record, Form I-94, bearing the same name as the passport and containing an endorsement of the alien&squo;s non immigrant status, if that status authorizes the alien to work for the employer.

List B

Driver&squo;s license or ID card issued by a state or outlying possession of the United States, provided it contains a photograph or information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address.

&ull; ID card issued by federal, state, or local government agencies or entities, provided it contains a photograph or information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address.

&ull; School ID card with a photograph.

&ull; Voter&squo;s registration card.

&ull; U.S. military card or draft record.

&ull; Military dependent&squo;s ID card.

&ull; U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner card.

&ull; Native American tribal document

&ull; Driver&squo;s license issued by a Canadian government authority.

List C

&ull; U.S. social security card issued by the Social Security Administration (other than a card stating it is not valid for employment).

&ull; Certification of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State (Form FS-545 or Form DS-1350).

&ull; Original or certified copy of a birth certificate, issued by a state, county or municipal authority, or outlying possession of the United States, bearing an official seal.

&ull; Native American tribal document.

&ull; U.S. Citizen ID Card (Form I-197).

&ull; ID Card for Use of Resident Citizen in the United States (Form I-179).

&ull; Unexpired employment authorization document issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (other than those listed under List A).