DANVILLE, Pa. -- Every 10 years, the federal government does a population count of the United States and it is almost that time again. The 2020 census is less than three months away and right now there is an effort to recruit census takers.
Around a dozen people came to the Thomas Beaver Free Library in Danville for an information session on census jobs.
"I was just curious to see what's going on and what it involves," Fred Harner said.
"Just to get more information, see if it's something I really want to do. You can always use extra money," Jean Uhl said.
According to a census supervisor, applicants are badly needed. The hourly wages vary depending on what county you live in.
"It mentioned up to $26.50 an hour for Montour County and it had lesser rates for other counties," Harner said.
Positions last several weeks. There are different jobs people can get, but the job most needed is census taker.
"I'm older and I freelance, and it looks like I have time and it seems like an important thing to do," Jerry Stropnicky said.
Results of the 2020 census will be used for various things like determining the number of seats our state will hold in the U.S. House of Representatives. It will also determine how billions of dollars in federal money is distributed to hospitals, schools, roads and emergency response.
In the 2010 census, Danville was undercounted by 20 percent. That affects the federal funding that Montour County gets.
"That's huge. That's a lot of roads and parks and schools that as citizens we should care about," Stropnicky said.