The 15-month countdown for the 2010 census has begun, starting with a large-scale recruiting effort to hire the field workers who will survey their local communities to create of snapshot of the nation's population.

Last month, 11 local census offices opened across Southern California to get recruitment and training operations off the ground. An additional 27 offices will be opened by November in 19 Southern California counties and in the state of Hawaii.

Mike Garcia, assistant manager for recruiting for the Riverside Early Local Census Office, said that each office will employ about 1,200 individuals and that the census will create at least 50,000 jobs throughout Southern California.

For the most part, office staff and recruiting assistants have already been hired for the locations that opened early, Garcia said. Currently, the offices are looking to hire census takers, also known as enumerators or listers.

"They will go out and canvas neighborhoods, counting houses" and verifying or updating address lists, he said. "Then we generate a large mailing list. . . . Those who don't respond to mail-outs will be visited by a census taker for a oneon-one interview."

Garcia said the hiring of these field representatives will take place from now until May.

Since the first census in 1790, the count, taken once every decade, has been used to determine representation in the U.S. House of Representatives, state Legislature and local governments.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the data also affects the annual distribution of about $300 billion in federal funding to states and cities for programs in education, public health, transportation, housing and neighborhood improvement.

Census takers work individually in their own community as part of a small team, which is supervised by a crew leader. They record information on a hand-held wireless computer.

Work schedules for census takers range from 20 to 40 hours a week, usually during normal business hours, but some evening and weekend work may be required. Garcia said the pay for census takers ranges from $15 to $20 an hour.

"We are definitely paying above regular rates in all areas," he said.

In order to qualify for the position, an applicant must be at least 18 years old and a U.S. citizen and must have a valid driver's license and Social Security number. Applicants must also pass a background check, Garcia said.

Those interested in applying for a 2010 census job can call the tollfree jobs line at (866) 861-2010 to schedule an appointment to take a written exam. Applications and a practice test are available to download online. For more information, visit 2010censusjobs.com.