Staff writer

The U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday officially opened a local census office on the third floor of 101 Charles St. in La Plata. Kenneth Turner, right, office manager, addresses the audience as Fernando Armstrong, left, regional census director; David Jenkins, director of municipal development for the town of La Plata; state Sen. Thomas "Mac" Middleton; and Tammy Lee-Pantages of the Korean American Association of Southern Maryland listen.

Southern Marylanders seeking work can look to hundreds of federal jobs coming to La Plata — temporarily. 

The U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday officially opened a local census office on the third floor of the Baldus Centre at 101 E. Charles St. The installation will require 600 to 700 workers, most of whom will go door to door to gather information from those who have not mailed in their census forms, bureau spokeswoman Sylvia Ballinger said. 

The office will serve Southern Maryland as well as Anne Arundel County and the southern part of Prince George's County. It will start recruiting workers at the end of the month. While a few office workers might be hired soon after, field workers will begin training in early February 2010, Ballinger said. 

After training, the jobs will last between five and 10 weeks, depending on the workload, she said. She hopes work will be light, asking residents to return their census forms without prompting. 

"When you get the questionnaire in mid-March, we're asking people, don't delay. Take the 10 minutes. It's safe, easy and important. What people need to realize is how important that census data is," Ballinger said. 

Ellen Flowers-Fields, director of regional economic development for the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland, said she does not know much about the center but hopes it will provide some relief for the currently unemployed. 

"I feel the opportunity to have gainful employment, part time or full time, is welcome. There are people who, even working their full-time jobs, need to supplement their wages, and this is a part-time employment opportunity," Flowers-Fields said. 

Also, the skills and experience gained could boost a worker's profile and help him find other work down the line, she said. 

Because of the temporary nature of the work, however, the impact of census jobs will necessarily be limited, she said. 

Beyond job opportunities, the census is important to the region because the population count helps determine federal funding for the region. 

"I just think that the work the census does is so important in the community," Flowers-Fields said. "… We just need to encourage the community, as much as possible, that the census is a good thing and they need to be counted." 

While federal funding is important, the main reason for the census is the determination of states' representation in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as localities' representation in state legislatures, according to Fernando Armstrong, regional director of the Philadelphia Regional Census Center. 

People can be reluctant to fill out the census form because of language problems, apathy or "sometimes people are afraid that the information that they give on the census might be used for something else, shared with taxes or with the INS or immigration," Armstrong said. 

But census workers take an oath of confidentiality, help is available in dozens of languages and every U.S. resident depends on federally funded services, so everyone should participate, he said. 

Participation is required by law, which provides for a $500 fine for noncompliance, Armstrong said. However, he added, the punishment is rarely used. 

To apply for a job with the census, call or go to http://www.census2010.