CENSUS 2000: GEARING UP FOR THE COUNT

In a nation of more than 267 million people, counting everyone is no small task.

The Census Bureau plans to spend $4 billion to conduct the 2000 census. The bureau has about 5,000 employees, but the number balloons every 10 years when the census is taken.

The federal agency already has started hiring additional personnel to help with the count. The bureau plans to hire 350,000 people nationwide in the next two years, said Tom Beaver of the bureau's regional office in Kansas City.

Most of the census jobs will be short term, lasting about six months at most.

Beaver said the decennial census is the largest peacetime project conducted by the federal government. The United States has conducted a census every 10 years since 1790 as required by the Constitution.

"The census is really about two things: It is about power and it is about money," Beaver said.

Population figures determine the number of representatives that each state will have in Congress. Census figures also are used to determine boundaries of the congressional and legislative districts in each state.

The numbers also are factors in the allocation of federal funds to state, local and tribal governments.

The census provides a wealth of demographic information, including age and race to marital status and family income. Government agencies, businesses and organizations often consider the data in making decisions.

John Mehner, Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce president, said the census provides statistics that are used in industrial recruitment. "We use it extensively," he said.

The Census Bureau's Kansas City office is responsible for conducting the census in six states: Missouri, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Beaver estimated that about 30,000 people will be hired to help conduct the census in the six-state region. About 800 people will be hired in the Southeast Missouri region, he said. Testing of applicants in the local area will begin Thursday at the Missouri Employment Security Division office at 6 Girardeau Court. Most of the jobs pay $6 to $11 an hour depending on the area. In rural areas, the pay typically will be lower than in urban areas.

Beaver said the bureau is hiring people to visit every block and neighborhood to verify addresses that have been provided by local governments. "We need to verify every place where a person could possibly live and make sure we don't miss any housing areas," he said.

The address-lister jobs will run three to four months. The work can be done part time on weekends and nights, Beaver said.

Census workers have to be at least 18 years of age. They must pass a written test and receive security clearance.

"All of our employees are sworn to secrecy on the information they collect," Beaver said.

Persons interested in working as address listers can contact the bureau's regional office at 1-888-325-7733. Some of the address listers could continue on as enumerators for the 2000 census.

Hiring census workers is tougher today because there are fewer stay-at-home mothers, Beaver said. "This would be a very good job for people who are retired," he said.

The bureau plans to open its Southeast Missouri office in Sikeston on Aug. 10.

The census questionnaire will be mailed to households in March. The bureau hopes to have most of the questionnaires back by early April. Census enumerators then will visit households that haven't mailed in the census form.

Most people will get the short form in the mail. The short form has six questions. It should take about 10 minutes to fill out the form, Beaver said.

One in every six households nationwide will receive the long form. The long form has about 55 questions.

Beaver estimated it would take a person about 40 minutes to complete the long form.