The U.S. Census Bureau is looking to help some area residents earn extra income while helping Shelby County obtain an accurate census count.

The Shelby County Census Office is hiring part-time census takers to help collect data during the 2010 census.

The jobs are open to all U.S. citizens 18 and older who can read, write and speak English. Applicants must provide a valid driver’s license and social security number, and must pass a basic skills test, submit to a background check and attend four paid training days.

The bureau will consider non-American citizens who have an appropriate work visa and possess bilingual skills for which there are no qualified American citizens, according to the agency’s Web site.

Census takers will work to locate residences, explain the purpose of the census, conduct brief personal interviews with residents, help people fill out census forms and record question responses on paper forms.

Census takers will help the bureau obtain an accurate population count for Shelby County, which will determine the amount of federal funding sent to the area and will affect how the region is represented in the U.S. government.

Because census takers typically are on duty while most people are at home, hours may include nights and weekends, according to the Web site.

The Shelby County bureau will pay its temporary workers $12 per hour, and will reimburse census takers for some work-related expenses, including mileage.

Census representatives will begin hiring temporary employees in spring of 2010, but anyone interested in applying for the jobs can do so at 2010.census.gov, or call the Shelby County census office in Chelsea at 775-6120.