Despite the announcement Thursday by the Ga. Department of Labor that unemployment claims in the state are 75 percent higher in October than the same time last year, one agency is in the process of hiring.

Every 10 years, dating back to 1790, the U.S. Constitution mandates a head count of everyone residing in the United States through a census, and local area offices are currently accepting applications for part-time census takers for 2010.

“We are hiring people for the census,” said Bob Peterson, assistant manager of recruiting with the U.S. Census Bureau. “We’ve got to hire a lot of people. I have a 30-county area and I’ve got to hire 4,000 people.”

“They’re part-time jobs, with flexible hours, very competitive pay including an hourly rate plus a mileage rate,” said Peterson.

The positions available are known as address canvassers or enumerators, said Peterson.

“We’ll start hiring in January, training in February, and the jobs will start in March.”

Employees will go out into the field with a handheld computer and verify addresses so that the post office can mail out census forms, and then a follow-up operation starts in April 2010, said Peterson.

“There will be other operations going on between these two operations so there’s a possibility of being employed from February 2009 through July 2010,” added Peterson.

Those interested in a position as a census taker are required to take a test in order to qualify for the job, said Baldwin County Census contact Geraldine Dennis.

There will be two testing sessions Friday at the Milledgeville Career Center, located at 156 Roberson Mill Road, at both 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., said Dennis.

“It’s just a basic, general test that people must pass in order to be employed to do the census,” said Dennis.

Anyone interested in employment with the 2010 U.S. Census can also call the Atlanta Census office at 1-866-861-2010 to find out where to go for testing.

The office is receiving a number of phone calls about positions, but Census recruiters suggest leaving a message so someone will return the call.