INDIANAPOLIS -- Despite a sluggish economy, the U.S. Census Bureau is struggling to fill thousands of jobs.

The massive task of counting every person in the country happens just once every 10 years, and 2010 is that year, 6News' Tanya Spencer reported.

The bureau is trying to recruit 45,000 workers in Indiana to help with the task.

"Our recruiting activities are fairly young, but we have to have as many people recruited as we need by the end of January 2010," said Sue Gettz, supervisor at an Indianapolis census office. "We have a steep challenge before us."

About 9,500 workers are needed in the Indianapolis area, with 5,500 workers sought in Bloomington, 5,100 in Anderson and 5,800 in Lafayette.

Workers are required to take a basic test and undergo a background check. Testing has already begun, and paid training begins in January.

In April, a questionnaire will be mailed to homes across the country. Census workers will be needed to knock on the doors of homes that don’t send back the 10-question form, and ask those questions in person. That process will happen in late spring to early summer of 2010.

Census workers are paid $12.25 to $15 an hour. They stay in their own neighborhoods and have flexible hours, but the jobs are temporary.

Census workers can expect to work 20 to 40 hours a week, for a two- to six-week period.

Gettz said workers will be helping their communities and their state, because the census count determines how much federal money Indiana receives and how many seats the state gets in the House of Representatives.

"The cool thing is, they are a part of something that happens once every 10 years," Gettz said.

More information, application forms and a practice test are available at www.2010censusjobs.gov.