Census recruiting workers for county

RBC I Kathleen Martynowicz of Rangely is looking for help. Or, more specifically, helpers.
Martynowicz is the recruiting assistant for the U.S. Census Bureau in Rio Blanco County.
“I’m covering Rio Blanco County, plus Dinosaur,” Martynowicz said. “My job is to recruit and test.”
Anyone who applies to be a census worker is required to take a 30-minute test and is subject to a background check.
“Everything is very confidential,” Martynowicz said. “You have to be 18, or if not 18, have a high school diploma. They want the people who are canvassing to be from the area, but I don’t know for sure how many people they are wanting to hire. There are different levels they are hiring for. They’re just not hiring canvassers; they are hiring crew leaders.”
The pay rate for census workers is $12.50 per hour.
“Which is pretty good pay,” Martynowicz said. “It’s temporary work, but it does help people supplement their income for awhile. People are contracted for two months at a time. They will hire some full-time people. You’re working nights and weekends, when people are home from their jobs. We would like to see people who have Spanish-speaking skills come forward and apply.”
As of Monday, Martynowicz had given the test to 22 people. This week, she gave the test on Tuesday and Wednesday in Rangely and is giving it again in Rangely today and Friday and in Meeker on Saturday.
To schedule a time to take the test to be a census worker, call (866) 861-2010.
“They need to have two forms of ID when they come to take the test,” Martynowicz said. “People who make an appointment would get the preferred seating, but I will take people who walk in as well.”
Even though the test itself takes about 30 minutes, Martynowicz said to allow more time than that.
“By the time you fill out the paperwork, it takes an hour or an hour and a half,” Martynowicz said. “The paperwork takes longer than the test itself.”
Census questionnaires will be delivered in March. The goal of the once-every-decade census is to count all residents living in the United States. The responses are used for statistical purposes.
“I think it’s really important,” Martynowicz said of the census. “Because it determines how much money states get from the federal government and how much representation they (states) have in Congress.”
For more information, visit www.2010censusjobs.gov or call Martynowicz at 675-5008.