The U.S. Census Bureau has released new data from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS), which tracks business conditions and future expectations across the United States. The survey covers all employer businesses except farms and includes information from multiunit or multilocation companies.
According to the Census Bureau, the BTOS provides continuous and timely economic data every two weeks, offering details by geographic area and industry subsector. This allows policymakers to monitor the effects of events such as natural disasters or economic downturns, as well as recovery efforts.
The survey sample consists of about 1.2 million businesses, divided into six panels with roughly 200,000 participants each. Each panel is asked to report once every 12 weeks over a year. The average time for respondents to complete the survey is estimated at nine minutes.
BTOS results are published biweekly and are available by sector, state, and for the 25 largest metropolitan areas in the country. New questions regarding artificial intelligence were introduced on November 17, 2025, with results expected in 2026. The Census Bureau notes that these findings provide important real-time data for local, state, and federal officials to support policy decisions, as well as for businesses making economic choices.
There was no formal news release issued alongside this announcement; it was distributed via a tip sheet.
