The U.S. Census Bureau has published new data from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS), a program that tracks business conditions and projections on a continuing basis. The survey includes information for businesses with multiple locations and is designed to complement other economic surveys by collecting details such as revenue, employee numbers, hours worked, and inventory levels.
The BTOS covers all employer businesses in the United States except farms. It provides timely economic indicators every two weeks, offering detailed data at both geographic and industry levels. This allows policymakers to monitor how events like natural disasters or economic downturns affect different parts of the economy and helps track recovery efforts.
Approximately 1.2 million businesses are included in the BTOS sample. These are divided into six groups of about 200,000 each, with each group asked to respond every 12 weeks throughout the year. The Census Bureau reports that it takes respondents an average of nine minutes to complete the survey.
Data from BTOS will be released every two weeks and will be available by sector, state, and for the 25 largest metropolitan areas in the country. In November 2025, questions about artificial intelligence were added; results from these questions are expected in 2026. According to the Census Bureau, “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.”
There was no news release issued alongside this announcement; only a tip sheet was provided.
