Wanted: 'Enthusiastic' census staff

The census is a major logistical undertaking

Adverts are being placed in job centres across Scotland to recruit thousands of people to help with the 2001 national census.

The office of the Registrar General for Scotland needs people to help gather the vital information.

Registrar General John Randall said the jobs will pump more than £4m into the country's economy between mid-February and the end of May.

They will need to be fit and enthusiastic as there are 2.3 million homes in Scotland to which census forms have to be delivered

John Randall
Registrar General

Mr Randall said: "The 2001 census will provide reliable information on the needs of everybody in our society in Scotland, so it's vital that everyone receives a census form then completes and returns it.

"The recruits will be the vital field force which we need to make personal contact with every householder in the country and explain the census to them.

"We are looking for about 7,500 people, especially in the cities.

"They will need to be fit and enthusiastic as there are 2.3 million homes in Scotland to which census forms have to be delivered."

Nearly 7,000 temporary enumerators and more than 500 census team leaders' posts are on offer and application forms are now available in every job centre.

Census in April

The National Census itself takes place on Sunday, 29 April, 2001.

A team leader's post is worth £1,377, plus expenses, while an enumerator will be paid a basic fee of £370 which, with expenses and a piece-rate payment, will increase by about £130.

So far 22 census area managers and 175 census district managers are already in post.