Starting this week, you should be getting something in the mail asking for your personal information, but it is not a scam.

INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) — Starting this week, you should be getting something in the mail asking for your personal information, but it is not a scam.

In fact, you are required by law to fill out the 2020 census. The process is a tradition dating back to 1790, and a lot is on the line.

”U. S. House seats are allocated to each state based on that state's population,” said U. S. Census Bureau spokesperson Tim Swarens.



Along with that, $675 billion a year in federal funding is handed out based on census data.



“It's very important for schools that every child is counted; it's very important for your local community that we have everybody counted so that the fire department gets the federal funding that it needs; schools, bridges, sidewalks, hospitals,” Swarens explained.

There could also be a short-term benefit to you right now as nearly 500,000 people will be hired nationwide, including thousands in Indiana. Jeffersonville in southern Indiana is also a major processing hub for the census.



“Most of the jobs we're hiring for right now are for what's called census takers; these are the people who will go out in the field starting in May," Swarens said. "The pay rate is very good — $18.50 to $25.00 an hour. These are part-time jobs with very flexible hours. If you want to work nights or if you want to work weekends, the bureau can help you with that."



The form should take about 10 minutes to fill out and will also include an online option. Indiana typically does well: data from 2010 shows Hoosiers ranked No. 3 in the country for filling it out.