Running a census in a tight labour market

The 2006 Census hit the streets during the hottest labour market in a generation, with many regional unemployment rates at long-term lows and wage increases outstripping price hikes. While technological advances reduced manpower needs, tens of thousands of temporary workers were still required which proved to be a problem in many areas. Census managers extended the collection period and moved an unprecedented number of enumerators across regions to attain acceptable data quality while remaining within budget.