The U.S. Census Bureau has published new data from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS), which monitors business conditions and forecasts across the United States. The survey gathers information from multiunit and multilocation businesses, complementing other economic surveys by collecting details on revenues, employees, hours worked, and inventories.
The BTOS covers all employer businesses in the country except for farms. Its design allows for ongoing collection of key economic indicators every two weeks, offering a detailed view of how events such as natural disasters or economic downturns affect different regions and sectors. This approach supports efforts to track recovery after such events.
The survey’s sample includes about 1.2 million businesses, divided into six groups of roughly 200,000 each. Each group is surveyed every 12 weeks over the course of a year. According to the Census Bureau, it takes an average respondent nine minutes to complete the survey.
Results are released every two weeks and can be accessed by sector, state, and for the 25 largest metropolitan areas. The data provides local, state, and federal officials with timely information that supports policy decisions. Businesses also use these insights to inform their own economic planning.
There is no separate news release related to this announcement; only a tip sheet was provided.
