Thursday, January 7, 2010 - County, Census Hold Job Fair Jan. 19 At Fenn Center

St. Lucie County and the United State Census Bureau will be holding a job fair on Tuesday, Jan. 19 from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. at the Havert L. Fenn Center on Virginia Avenue to recruit local residents for the 2010 Census data collection process.

The United States Census Bureau will be sending out questionnaires to every household in March in an attempt to obtain an accurate count of every person living in the United States. Federal dollars are distributed based on the population count for services such as education, transportation, health care, job training and more. Everyone is encouraged to mail back their completed forms quickly, so that St. Lucie County can continue to receive its fair share of federal dollars. Residents are reminded that all of the information in the Census questionnaire is confidential.

The U.S. Census Bureau plans to hire a number of local residents to help collect information from those households that do not mail back the questionnaires. To be eligible for these temporary, part-time Census jobs, applicants should be: at least 18 years of age; be able to pass a background check and pass the Basic Skills Test.

These short-term Census jobs offer good pay, flexible hours, paid training and reimbursement for authorized work-related expenses, such as mileage incurred while conducting Census work. Census taker jobs are excellent for people who want to work part-time, those who are between jobs, or just about anyone who wants to earn extra money while performing an important service for their community. Bilingual speakers are encouraged to apply.

Most hiring will take place during the spring of 2010. Job offers depend on several factors, such as the availability of work in your community, test score, language skills, veterans' preference, and the number of hours you are available to work each week. Please understand that not every qualified applicant who takes the employment test and applies will be offered a Census job. Job offers are made by the Local Census Office.

To learn more about the Census, visit www.2010census.gov. For more information about the Census Job Fair call 1-866-861-2010 and enter your zip code to be directed to the local Census Office.