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 future projections across the United States. The BTOS includes information from businesses with multiple locations and complements other economic surveys by collecting data on key metrics such as revenues, employees, hours worked, and inventories.
The survey covers all employer businesses in the country except for farms. It is designed to offer a continuous view of the economy through biweekly updates, providing detailed geographic and industry-specific information. This approach allows for timely tracking of events like natural disasters or economic downturns and helps monitor recovery efforts.
Approximately 1.2 million businesses participate in the BTOS sample, divided into six panels of about 200,000 each. Each panel is surveyed every 12 weeks over a one-year period. According to the Census Bureau, it takes an average respondent about nine minutes to complete the survey, including time spent reviewing instructions and answers.
Survey results are released every two weeks and are available by sector, state, and for the 25 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. The Census Bureau introduced new questions regarding artificial intelligence on November 17; responses to these questions will be published in 2026. Data from the BTOS provide essential real-time insights for policymakers at local, state, and federal levels as well as for business leaders making economic decisions.
There was no separate news release issued alongside this announcement; only a tip sheet was provided.
