“It's a painstaking job”: the important mission of the 14 census agents of Sète begins this Thursday

Christiane Marmouget et Régine Granier, deux agents recenseurs de la ville de Sète. Midi Libre – Clotilde Rodriguez

Starting this Thursday, January 16, the census of the city of Sète will begin. Fourteen census agents will walk the streets of the singular island to have the residents concerned fill out a questionnaire. The census period will end on Saturday, February 22.

Receiving a letter for the census of the city of Sète. Opening your door to a census agent. But for what purpose? ? Régine Granier and Christiane Marmouget, two census agents for fifteen and three years respectively in Sète, explain their work: “We start by leaving a letter in the homes that are affected by the census, to explain that we will visit them on the set dates.”

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This year, it's between January 16 and February 22. “The goal is to reassure the residents before our visit“, specifies Régine Granier. The census agents then visit once. If there is no response, they come back a second time. After two inconclusive visits, they leave a notice of passage in the mailboxes. It is then up to the people concerned to contact them. “It’s a real painstaking job, you absolutely have to be organized to be a census agent“, confides Christiane Marmouget.

The census is mandatory

To be counted, you must answer a questionnaire in person or online, using an access code communicated by the census agents. Christiane Mamouget always specifies that “the census is mandatory, so you have to give your identity. For questions concerning means of transport, heating or the number of rooms, these are optional answers. I don't do any interrogations.“

The people of Sète who are counted are drawn at random

Cities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants only have to conduct a census every five years. For cities with more than 10,000 inhabitants, it is every year, but only on a portion of the city's housing. This portion must represent 8% of all housing. INSEE conducts a random draw each year to determine the addresses concerned. Then, it is the census agents' turn to do their job. For Sète, this year, 2,673 homes are to be counted.

Some Sète residents are sometimes reluctant to answer the questionnaire. Régine Granier then always explains the issues to them: “For families with children, the census helps determine whether there is a nursery or school in the area. The same goes for elderly people with nursing homes. If you are asked if you use the buses, it is to find out whether or not they should pass through your street.“

We do it because we like it

The team of Sète census agents is made up of 14 individuals for 20 sectors. They have each applied for the mayor's office. Each year, they reapply between September and October. “We start again every year because we like it. We meet people. And then, it's challenging to succeed in counting 100% of those who are drawn“, confide Régine Granier and Christiane Marmouget. Remember the faces of these two agents, and don't hesitate to open the door for them if they ring.

To recognize them and avoid fraud, census agents are always equipped with an official card. For more information on the census, you can also visit the website www.le-recensement-et-moi.fr. I subscribe to read the rest