Help a reporter out…Are you unemployed after working for the 2010 Census?
I know that many of the readers of MyTwoCensus.com are former 2010 Census employees who are now out of work. Please send an e-mail to morse (at) mytwocensus.com with your contact information if you are still looking for work and willing to speak to a reporter for a national newspaper about this.
Thanks!
Stephen
December 4th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
Responding to unemployment after 2010 census work
December 4th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
Yep.
Which paper?
December 5th, 2010 at 12:42 am
Nope. I’m now a customer service representative in a call center. I was only out of work for about six weeks after I got laid off.
December 5th, 2010 at 10:06 pm
Still unemployed, as are all of my assistant managers. Unemployment benefits were capped in our state just as we were eligible to recieve benefits, so personally I went from being able to have a savings account to receiving food stamps. You are welcome DOC, for all my hard work. Thanks for nothing.
December 5th, 2010 at 10:30 pm
It also seems as if there is a stigma attached to being a former census employee. I once had 3,000 employees under my supervision, now I can’t even get an interview.
December 6th, 2010 at 1:24 am
It’s Obama’s fault. That stupid agreement that said we were part time employees.
December 6th, 2010 at 1:55 am
LCOM is correct: there is a stigma attached to Census work.
P for Pres, however, is incorrect. The Dep’t of Commerce, not the president, oversees the Census Bureau and has since its inception.
So, why would a federal department, created for the good of business, bother much with the good of workers.
I still want to know “which” newspaper.
Another thing about that. When we were hired, we all took oaths. Piece of paper, dumb as hell –doesn’t matter. One of the terms of our employment was to never sell our Census Bureau stories.
Sucks, because, oh boy, do I have some good ones.
December 6th, 2010 at 5:33 am
“LCOM is correct: there is a stigma attached to Census work.”
Why do you think that is?
December 6th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
JAX, JUST A Clerk and LCOM remember the stigma in 8 years when the Census 2012 comes around and the Census Bureau starts their massive recruitment. Tell everyone the about the stigma and how Census management doesn’t care about people. Don’t let them be duped, like we were.
December 6th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
“Won’t Get Fooled Again”
December 6th, 2010 at 7:48 pm
@ JustAClerk:
Incorrect. We took oaths saying we wouldn’t disclose personally identifiable information about those we were surveying.
We made no such promises not to discuss our employment situations, nor did we make any promises not to discuss cases in general terms.
@ Those of you who are still looking for work:
I understand why it could seem that working for the Census Bureau could carry a stigma… but I don’t think it does, at least not as a deciding factor. The simple truth is that it’s an employer’s market right now and there are a hell of a lot of people looking for work. I have a master’s degree and I’ve had employers actually tell me that they were refusing to hire me because of it. But I don’t think it’s the majority of cases. At the risk of sounding patronizing… make sure your resume is up to par (even birdie, if you’ll forgive the golf pun), and when you do get an interview, make sure you give yourself a chance to perform well by being well prepared. As someone who was unemployed for over a year (until last Friday), aside from census work… I speak from experience!
And if you really feel that having worked for the Census Bureau carries a stigma when applying for professional positions, perhaps you might consider omitting your Census experience — or find a way to include it more impressively without being dishonest.
December 9th, 2010 at 6:39 am
JustAClerk, You can tell or write your story. You just cannot sell it.
Your former employer was deliberately unclear about this distinction.
December 14th, 2010 at 11:42 am
Worked for the Census Bureau in the Bronx area in New York. I was laid off in August and I still looking for a job. With no unenmployment benefits I am going through difficult times. Still I can not find a job despite I have applied for many.
December 16th, 2010 at 8:05 pm
JustAClerk, The Boston Globe has your answer…
boston dot com/travel/getaways/canada/articles/2010/12/12/destination_enough_riding_across_canada/
/reporter? seriously?
December 21st, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Yes. I am unemployed. I was laid off July 4th. Can barely make rent. Aside from infrequent temp jobs, no real work. Rejection letters every week. Disheartening indeed.
December 21st, 2010 at 7:00 pm
I hear you, formerenumer. There was 1 LCO here (now, how many would there be) but it’s a small town and former Census office workers most definitely have their time in it against them looking for another job.
GS-X, my former employer was extraordinarily unclear about many things.
December 24th, 2010 at 8:26 am
We went into the Census Bureau jobs knowing that they were part-time jobs, they always are and this was my third census. The economy is bad right now, so don’t blame the Census at not being able to find a job. At least we had jobs for awhile.
December 30th, 2010 at 3:02 am
I was in the LCO till the very last day for our office (as a clerk no less, the AMT resigned in late July and I was the former OOST). That was September 24th, since then I was approved for UI and had it pulled away and am still waiting for the appeal process to run its course (at the last minute the census decided they wanted to participate in the hearing, causing the original appeal date to be pushed back (thanks census!)). I was able to start another temp job two days ago but who knows how long that will last.
December 30th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
Yes, still unemployed! Can’t even get an interview! Have yet to receive the first UI Benefit. Really sucks!
January 1st, 2011 at 6:49 pm
I was able to immediately find employment.
Actually, before I reached my extended end date.
It is really tough to find a job right now, but you must keep a positive outlook or you never will land one.