Census 2000 Is Big!

Census 2000 Is Big! More than 860,000 jobs at peak (Check the Census Bureau's job listing or call 1-888-325-7733 for the latest job information.) 520 local census offices, 12 regional census centers and 4 data processing centers 520 local area networks, 7,800 personal computers and 2,600 printers (set up, used and dismantled in one year) More than 20 million maps needed for field work 40 to 70 million questionnaires returned during the peak two-week period 8 to 9 million blocks covered Source: U.S. Census Bureau

By law, the Census Bureau cannot share your answers with others, including welfare agencies, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Internal Revenue Service, courts, police and the military. Under the provisions of Title 13 of the U.S. Code, census bureau workers who break this law face up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines. The law works -- millions of questionnaires were processed during the 1990s without any breach of trust.

This should also be reassuring: Did you know that the law requires each batch of census forms to remain private for 72 years? This is to encourage honesty and accurate information. The rationale behind this law is that little negative impact could happen after 72 years, since most of the people listed would be gone. So, this means that the latest census available to the public is the one taken in 1920.

The process of microfilming and printing the census also takes a long time to accomplish because of the 72-year wait and also by the sheer volume of documents. (This process usually takes another two years or so to complete and make ready for the public, according to bureau officials.)

First results of Census 2000 will be the state population totals used to reapportion the U.S. House of Representatives, which must be delivered to the President in exactly nine months -- by Dec. 31, 2000. More detailed data used to redraw U.S. and state legislative districts must be delivered to governors and state majority and minority leaders by April 1, 2001.