The U.S. Census Bureau has released new data from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS), which provides ongoing measurements of business conditions and projections across the country. The survey includes information from businesses with multiple locations, aiming to complement existing economic surveys by collecting data on revenues, employees, hours worked, and inventories.
The BTOS covers all employer businesses in the United States except farms. Its biweekly data releases offer timely insights into the state of the economy, including geographic and industry-specific details. This allows policymakers to monitor the effects of events such as natural disasters or economic crises and track recovery efforts over time.
Approximately 1.2 million businesses participate in BTOS through a panel system, where about 200,000 businesses per panel are surveyed every 12 weeks for a year. According to the Census Bureau, it takes an average respondent about nine minutes to complete the survey.
Data will be made available every two weeks at various levels, including by sector, state, and for the 25 largest metropolitan statistical areas. The results are intended to provide essential real-time information for local, state, and federal officials to inform policy decisions. Businesses can also use this data to support their own economic planning.
“No news release associated with this announcement. Tip sheet only.”
