County Head Count Likely to Employ 2,000

It is, Bob Anderson says, a bit like preparing for war.

This army, however, faces a different sort of D-day. There will be no beach to storm, no guns blazing, just lots of heads to count as the 1990 U.S. Census kicks into high gear in late March.

To perform that monumental tally, the Census Bureau needs to hire employees--lots of employees. Nearly 2,000 people are expected to be brought aboard in Orange County alone, filling temporary jobs as field workers, clerical assistants and data processors. Upwards of 500,000 may be needed across the nation.

“Yes, we’re trying to get ready for the big war,” said Anderson, an assistant district field operations manager in Orange County. “When you consider we’re putting together an army of amateurs, since most of us never had anything to do with a previous census, this is quite an undertaking.”

The task of recruiting workers has recently gathered steam. About 100 temporary centers have been established in Orange County at YMCAs, senior centers, job development agencies, libraries, police stations and other sites to recruit and test prospective workers.

Although the effort just began, local census officials say they’ve been pleased with the turnout. But they remain eager for anyone interested in the census to come by and apply.

“So far we’re doing just great,” said Joe Montes, district manager of the bureau’s Fullerton office. “If things keep going this well, we’re not going to have any trouble.”

In particular, officials hope to hire more bilingual employees. Although the local offices already have workers who can speak more than a half-dozen languages, there is always need for more, according to Fernando Tafoya, district manager of the Santa Ana office.

The goal is to have a large enough applicant pool by April 1 that the bureau will not have worker shortages when it begins the laborious task of tracking down residents who fail to return the census form. All questionnaires are due to be returned by April 1.

“We’re not hurting for workers right now,” Tafoya said. “But in the future, with the large numbers we need to hire, we do anticipate some shortages.”

Most of those hired will fill posts as “field enumerators,” the ground troops who knock on doors and ask questions of non-respondents.

That effort, which begins the last week of April, will burn lots of shoe leather. In the county’s northeast quadrant alone, experts predict, residents in 66,000 of the 332,000 housing units will not return the census questionnaire.

Eager to ensure as complete a count as possible, census officials are focusing on hiring workers directly from the communities where they live, reasoning that residents will be far more likely to answer questions posed by a neighbor than by a stranger sent by the U.S. government.

But this will be no slapdash battalion. Because the answers on each questionnaire are by law kept strictly secret, each employee is required to take an oath of confidentiality.

So far, the bureau has hired people of all colors, creeds and credentials. Most share a common desire to find temporary work that will help pay a few bills (the census jobs typically pay $6.50 to $7.50 an hour, depending on the position) and a zeal to contribute something to society. Others are just looking for something to keep them busy.

Cecilia Johnson, 70, heard about the census Wednesday while doing volunteer work at a senior center near her home in Westminster. Johnson, a cheerful woman, decided to go right ahead and take the employee test.

“I think it could be interesting,” said Johnson, who has five children, 13 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, spread from Alaska to Texas. “It’ll be something to do, a chance to meet people.”

To qualify, a prospective employee must sign up for the hourlong test of simple job skills and correctly answer 10 of the 28 questions. After a background check by the FBI, the candidate is placed on a computer list of prospective employees, who are subsequently called as needed.

Census officials hope to develop a pool of more than 15,000 candidates in Orange County that they can draw from.

With the relatively modest wages and temporary nature of the jobs, many qualified employees have already moved on to other work by the time the census calls. Others simply can’t be reached.

“We’ll need four to eight candidates for each position we need filled,” said Bill Bellamy, district manager of the bureau’s office in Irvine.

For temporary employees already on board, it has been an interesting experience, Anderson said. Most have never worked in government before, so there’s a period of adjustment to the practices and protocol of the federal bureaucracy.

“It’s been an interesting education for all of us,” Anderson said. “We chuckle at first because everything seems to be a number or a letter. An acronym. But pretty soon we’re talking like them.”

HIRING FOR THE CENSUS

Picking the people to do the count.

How many: Nearly 2,000 people will be hired by the Census Bureau’s four Orange County district offices at the peak of the count in April and May.

Job status: All the jobs will be temporary, ranging in length from two weeks to several months.

Pay: $6.75 to $7.50 per hour.

When: Those deemed qualified will be placed in a job pool, then called to work as needed. Most of the jobs will be for March through July.

Qualifications: Basic understanding of English. Reading, writing and some clerical skills. Perhaps most importantly, an ability to relate to people.

Special skills: An ability to speak a foreign language, such as Spanish, Vietnamese or any other Asian language is a definite asset.

Residence status: Do not need to be a U.S. citizen, just a legal resident.

Types of work available: Field enumeration, clerical, data processing, payroll, personnel, administrative support.

Requirements: Each applicant must take a test (need to answer 10 of 28 questions correctly) of basic skills. A background check is then performed by the FBI to check for any felonies.

Testing sites: Nearly 100 throughout the county.

What to bring: Two pieces of identification.

For information: Call (714) 449-8000 and ask for a recruiting officer.