NILES — It's the latest sign of the tough economy: huge crowds lined-up to try to make their next job "really count" by helping to conduct the 2010 U.S. census.

Hiring for census positions will begin on Wednesday and continue through the next several months. That left hundreds crossing their fingers on Tuesday night, hoping they can "make the grade" and hear the magic words "you're hired."

Laurie Bender is one of them. Her career path is already set.

"I've got it narrowed down to either a crime scene investigator or a psychologist," she said with a wide smile.

The only problem?

"I lost my job last May. It was heartbreaking, because I'm a single mother, and I'm raising two kids on my own. And when I lost my job, it got really really hard to just live day to day," she said.

That's why she, and more than 100 others in similar positions, came to the Franklin AME Church in Niles on Tuesday, hoping things are about to turn around.

"We need census takers here," U.S. Census Bureau Recruiting Assistant Dr. Owen Anderson told the excited crowd. "We're actively looking for people who are excited about census work and would like to be employed with the Census Bureau."

He didn't have to look far!

A full 30 minutes before Tuesday's "orientation session" began, the line to get into the meeting had already stretched out the door. Some stragglers even had to be turned away and told to come back tomorrow.

"It's the only job in town," exclaimed one man standing in line.

"We've had some factories close down and there's very little job availability," agreed Ferry Street School Community Resource Center Director Lisa Busby, who helped organize the orientation session. "So, we're hoping that out of this meeting we will be able to employ scores of people."

There are "scores" of positions available, including both full time and part time work.

Anderson estimates the bureau will hire at least 36 census "enumerators", also know as census takers and 10-12 recruiters, clerks and supervisors during in the first "wave" of hires this week.

Each position pays between $12 and $18 an hour and work will continue through May 2010.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old with no felony record and must bring a photo ID to the job interview to be hired.

All male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must also be registered with the U.S. Selective Service.

As long as you meet those qualifications, the only thing left is a 30 minute long "qualification test."

Because of Wednesday's large turnout, the Census Bureau has added an additional time period to administer the qualification test at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, February 25.

The previously planned testing period will also be held at 4 p.m.

Both tests will be administered at Franklin AME Church, 811 Sycamore Street in Niles.

It's a test Laurie, and so many others are desperate to pass.

"This could be a huge help to a lot of people," said Anderson. "They are temporary jobs of course, but these can be nice bridge jobs that could give people a lot of help as they make their way through the restructuring of the economy."

"Hopefully with this, I can get back on my feet. It's a small bridge, but I'll eventually get to where i need to be," Laurie said.

The census could get Berrien County back to where it needs to be, too.

"We've been told our numbers should be higher," said Busby. "There's a lot that rides on those, including tax benefits. So, if we are able to employ the number of folks we want to employ and also get those numbers to look more accurate, it's a win-win."