The 2010 U.S. Census for 46 Colorado counties is revving up in a nondescript building south of downtown that will be home base to 4,000 workers being hired amid a time of the highest unemployment in recent years.

Some workers in rural areas might see mileage reimbursements exceed their paychecks as they drive hundreds of miles between towns and farms while others will hop snowmobiles to reach the state's most remote mountain regions.

The constitutionally mandated once-per-decade census is critical because its data are used to assign congressional seats to states and to make decisions about what services to provide.

Census data is also used to allocate federal funding to state, local and tribal governments for roads, bridges, health care facilities, schools and other programs.

"Each person is worth $300 to $1,000 per year for the next 10 years, so that would add up to $3 trillion over 10 years," said George Gutierrez, an AT&T retiree from Pueblo who heads the Colorado Springs office on South Sierra Madre Street.

The numbers will include undocumented residents, and Gutierrez is recruiting bilingual census takers who can communicate with illegal immigrants who might resist contact with federal officials.

Gutierrez emphasized information gathered by the census isn't shared with any other agency.

"Not even the president of the United States can obtain personal information from us," he said.

The Springs office oversees portions of Utah and most of Colorado, excluding the Denver area and northeast region.

In coming months, workers will hit the streets, alleys, roads and highways to verify addresses. For the first time, they'll use hand-held computers tied to a GPS satellite.

"They'll stand in front of the house to be sure the address matches (census maps)," he said. "If there's no longer a house there, we will have to delete it.

"We may even have to ride snowmobiles," Gutierrez added. "It's critical our figures are accurate."

He's already had a couple of field supervisors snowbound in Craig and Glenwood Springs, he said.

After workers verify addresses, a second wave of employees will spot check at random to verify results. If discrepancies are found, field operations personnel will repeat the address verification work.

Early next year, census questionnaires will be mailed to all households.

The questionnaires, which take less than 10 minutes to complete, will ask name, sex, age, relationship to the person who owns or rents the residence, race, whether the housing unit is owned or rented, telephone number and how many people live at the residence.

In early 2010, census takers will visit the homes of those who don't return the questionnaires.

Since it started recruitment late last year, the local office has referred 2,200 people for testing, a prerequisite to being hired. About 70 percent pass the test. All workers are subjected to two FBI background checks, including a fingerprint check.

The Census Bureau strives to hire people to work in the areas in which they live to cut down on mileage, Gutierrez said, but those working in rural counties such as Moffat, Jackson and Routt are sure to run up mileage bills.

"We're all over the place," he said. "Sometimes their mileage can be more than their hourly rate."

Census results will be reported in 2011, he said.

The census is different from the American Community Survey, conducted annually, which is sent to a small percentage of the population on a rotating basis and contains more detailed questions.

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Contact the writer: 636-0238 or pam.zubeck@gazette.com

JOB DETAILS

• You must be 18 years old.

• You don't have to be a U.S. citizen to apply for a census job, but citizens are given priority, as are military veterans and disabled veterans.

• Pay ranges from $9.50 per hour to $18.75 per hour. No benefits are provided.

• Mileage is paid at 55 cents per mile.

• Call 1-866-861-2010 to apply.

• For more information, go to www.census.gov