Obama nominates Thompson to head up Census Bureau

Thompson is currently the president and chief executive of the National Opinion Research Centre and was nominated by Obama on Thursday for the Census Bureau role which has been vacant for nine months.

With the cost of the US census growing from $39 a household in 1990 to $96 in 2010, if the Senate approves Thompson’s nomination, he would be heading an agency that is trying to save money whilst moving into digital.

In a statement, interim director of the Census Bureau Thomas Mesenbourg said: “John’s long and distinguished career at the Census Bureau and his recent experience leading one of the private sector’s most prestigious survey organisations makes him uniquely qualified to lead the Census Bureau.”