The U.S. Census Bureau has published new data from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS), which provides ongoing information about business conditions and projections across the United States. The BTOS now includes data for businesses with multiple locations, expanding its coverage of employer businesses in the economy except for farms.
The survey gathers key economic indicators such as revenue, employment, work hours, and inventories. Data are collected every two weeks from a sample of approximately 1.2 million businesses, divided into six panels that report every 12 weeks throughout the year. According to the Census Bureau, completing the survey typically takes respondents about nine minutes.
BTOS offers continuous and detailed geographic and sector-based data, allowing it to track the effects of events like natural disasters or economic downturns and to support monitoring recovery efforts. Results are released biweekly by sector, state, and for the 25 largest metropolitan statistical areas.
In November, new questions on artificial intelligence were added to the survey; results from these questions are expected in 2026. The data collected by BTOS helps local, state, and federal officials make informed policy decisions and assists businesses with their own planning.
“There is no news release associated with this announcement. Tip sheet only,” according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
