The U.S. Census Bureau is holding test sessions to recruit a pool of employees to conduct the nationwide count of Americans in 2010.

The test, given in every county in the state, is a fairly basic mix of math and reading comprehension.

Stan Bielejeski, a semi-retired Realtor from near Cleveland, took the test earlier this week and said he decided to do it partly because “right now real estate is not real hot.”

And he likes the idea of working outdoors with people.

There were only three test-takers at a recent session.

“You’d think people would be lined up,” Bielejeski said.

The Census Bureau, though, will likely continue to hold test sessions for weeks to come.

Its employee pool in Blue Earth County is 77 percent full, said Diane Abendroth, manager of the bureau’s St. Paul office. But it’s OK if the pool goes over the quota.

The Census Bureau uses the pool of pre-qualified people to call on when work is needed.

The pay varies depending on location and position, but field workers start at $11.50 per hour and office workers start at $9.25 or $9.50 per hour, she said.

Census questionnaires won’t be mailed for about a year, but workers first have to verify addresses by walking down streets and physically verifying house numbers. This address verification is expected to begin in April.

In most situations, only citizens can be census workers, but if there’s a particular need that can only be filled by legal residents, then they can be hired as well, Abendroth said.

The bureau also does a criminal background check on applicants and disqualifies people on a case-by-case basis.

And when residents get their census questionnaire next year, Abendroth said she hopes people fill it out and return it.

“It does save everybody money,” she said, because it avoids sending a census worker to the home.