Diary of a (happy) Census worker

Uncle Sam is a fantastic employer.

This summer I made more than minimum wage chasing down people who didn’t return their census questionnaires.

My official job title was “enumerator,” but I’d say it would be more accurately described as “door knocker/verbal punching bag.”

I only worked for the Census Bureau for about four weeks, but in this short time I learned some interesting lessons.

You’re part of the reason I have a job in the first place.

Maybe you should have taken 10 minutes out of your day and sent back your Census form. The Census ended up being $1.6 billion below budget.  

A federal program returned money to the government. That’s not something you see every day (or ever).

Another common complaint from citizens was privacy, which I will admit was a valid concern.

However, before starting my job, I had to sign a document stating that I could be fined and even imprisoned if I shared any “personally identifying information” from my job with other people.  

I don’t know how data was handled after I turned it in, but rest assured, I wasn’t gabbing about peoples’ names, races or (gasp) dates of birth.

I definitely had some sketchy encounters while working in south Davenport, Iowa (yes, there are bad neighborhoods in Iowa).

I opened up the local paper one morning to learn that there had been a shooting about one block from my assignment area the evening prior.

Nothing like good ‘ole gunfire to get you pumped for a day’s work.

Then there was the guy who chained up his pitbull outside his house every time he saw me pull into the neighborhood.
 
He was probably one of my harder households to get a hold of (lest his pooch get a hold of me).

The biggest thing that strikes me as I look back on this experience is how nice people generally are.

It’s understandable that some folks get disgruntled when a federal employee knocks on their door (even if it’s kind of their fault).

Most individuals I encountered this summer were polite and willing to help me finish my work.

One woman even told me to “have a great day, now” as I left her apartment.

That’s not to say that I didn’t encounter some angry people, but most of the time they were friendly and helpful.

Maybe the sight of a skinny college kid traversing the streets on a sweltering summer afternoon just brings out the best in some people.

I was the youngest enumerator in my crew, and there were plenty of adults who had children my age who were working in order to pay the mortgage or car
payment.

I was even paired on an assignment with a former investment banker.

The Census Bureau hired about 565,000 temporary workers,  many of whom were extremely overqualified for the work they were completing.

For as much criticism as the constitutionally-mandated  census receives, I felt from day one that I was contributing to something bigger than myself.

The Census provides a wealth of information that helps communities and businesses track changes and address problems. Entrepreneurs rely on this data to help identify prime areas for business development.

Municipalities use it to plan schools, roads, bridges and parks. Researchers have even used it to estimate the environmental impact of population growth.

Clearly, the Census is about more than just the feds getting all up in your
business.
 
It’s an important — and again, mandatory — program that provides good paying civilian jobs and vast amounts of statistical data.

As someone who has seen its actions firsthand, I have to say I’m impressed with the importance of doing a decennial count of all people.

Hopefully I’ll have a real job by the time the next Census rolls around, but if not, I’ll be out pounding the pavement once again.


E-mail: biglehar@indiana.edu