Will Census Spark Economy?

Looking for a job? Try the Census office. The 2010 Census will create about 1.2 million temporary but well-paid jobs, putting about $2.3 billion into the economy and providing a small, but possibly vital, stimulus. "It's a form of stimulus," said Mark Zandi of Moody's Economy.com. "It's like infrastructure spending, or W.P.A. in the Depression." Some 13,000 people were taken on by the Census this month amid "overwhelming" demand, but hiring will kick into high gear in April and May when 800,000 people will be put on the payroll. There are a number of different positions, but the average job will net a Census worker $10 to $25 an hour working 20 hours a week for six weeks.