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 United States. The survey now includes information for businesses with multiple locations, expanding its coverage.
The BTOS covers all employer businesses in the country except farms. It delivers biweekly updates on key economic indicators such as revenues, employees, hours worked, and inventories. This frequent reporting allows for a timely understanding of economic trends at both geographic and industry-specific levels. According to the Census Bureau, this approach helps capture the effects of significant events like natural disasters or economic crises and supports monitoring recovery efforts.
Approximately 1.2 million businesses participate in the BTOS sample. These are divided into six panels of about 200,000 businesses each, with each panel asked to report every 12 weeks over a year-long period. The Census Bureau estimates that it takes respondents around nine minutes to complete the survey.
Results from the BTOS are released every two weeks and are available by sector, state, and for the 25 largest metropolitan statistical areas. In November 2025, new questions related to artificial intelligence were added to the survey; results from these questions will be published in 2026.
“Survey results give local, state and federal officials essential, real-time data to aid in policymaking and decision-making. In addition, the information aids businesses in making economic decisions,” according to a statement from the Census Bureau.
There is no news release associated with this announcement; only a tip sheet was provided.
