(From the N.Y. Times.com) Next year’s census will not only count people, it will also put money in millions of pockets and potentially create a well-timed economic spark. Skip to next paragraphNot in more than a half-century has the United States census been conducted amid such high rates of joblessness. The 1.2 million census-taking jobs may be temporary, but they pay well, and economists say they will provide a significant lift.

The jobs will amount to a $2.3 billion injection into the economy at a critical juncture, a bridge between the moment when many economists believe the private sector will finally stop shedding jobs and when it ultimately begins to add them.

“These are real jobs with good solid hourly pay,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody’s Economy.com.

Read more here: Economists See a Lift in 2010 Census