Hunt for local census takers under way

In anticipation of the 2010 census, the U.S. Census Bureau is looking for local workers in different capacities to conduct the survey.

The agency began holding twice-daily testing sessions in Terrebonne and Lafouche parishes in mid- December.

To take the basic aptitude employment test, applicants must be a U.S. resident, 18 years or older and have a valid driver’s license. There is no minimum passing score. Applicants become eligible after taking the test.

“They (the Census Bureau) are already hiring people, and they’ll be hiring until May 2010,” said Vivian Pellegrin, a local recruiting assistant. ” So it will be a long process, and they’re going to need a lot of people.”

While testing is held at various sites throughout the Tri-parishes, the only regularly scheduled testing site and times is every third Monday of the month through June at Creole Lanes, 1371 West Tunnel Blvd., Houma, at 4 and 7 p.m.

“We want to accommodate people who are working but who would still like to take the test,” Pellegrin said. “We’ve had as few as two or three. At some sessions, we’ve had over 30. It just depends on where we are and how much advertising we get out.”

No appointment is necessary to take the test and anyone can schedule an appointment by calling 1-866-861-2010 weekdays from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Test-takers must also bring documents that establish both identity and employment eligibility.

The census will be conducted in two phases.

The 2009 phase is called Address Canvassing, where census workers verify residential addresses. This begins in late March or early April, and runs about 12 weeks.

“We’re going to have 1,200 people spread out through the 22-parish southeast Louisiana region,” said Chris Hebert, a local census office manager in Baton Rouge.

In early 2010, the Census Bureau will mail a seven-question form to every address in the country. Depending on the percentage of forms that are returned, the agency will determine how many workers it needs to go to single-family residences.

“Those homes that do not send back the census form, the enumerators will go and fill out the form with the people who live there,” Hebert said. “We might do what we call Quality Check, and visit some of the homes that did return the form, but that number will be very low.”

Hebert said the bulk of the census will take place in a 12-week span, starting in mid-April 2010.

Group-quarter residences, such as college dormitories and nursing homes, are done separately.

The long-form census has been moved into the American Survey portion of the census and is now conducted throughout the country.

“That was done to give local policymakers more up-to-date information as opposed to waiting every 10 years,” Hebert said.

According to the Louisiana Parish Population Projections Series 2010-30 developed by Louisiana State University, Terrebonne and Lafourche are projected to have population increases in the 2010 census.

Terrebonne Parish’s population is expected to jump to 118,890 next year. In 2005, the population was 107,200. Lafourche Parish is projected to have 93,800 residents next year, up from 91,960 four years ago.

St. Mary Parish is projected to see a decline in its residents from 51,290 in 2005 to 49,400 next year.