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. The survey includes information from businesses with multiple units or locations and complements other economic surveys by collecting data on key metrics such as revenue, employees, hours worked, and inventories.
The BTOS covers all employer businesses in the United States except for farms. It offers continuous data every two weeks, allowing for timely insights into the economy at both geographic and industry levels. This regular reporting helps to monitor the effects of events like natural disasters or economic downturns and track recovery efforts.
Approximately 1.2 million businesses participate in the BTOS, divided into six panels of about 200,000 each. Each panel is surveyed every 12 weeks over a year. According to the Census Bureau, completing the survey takes respondents around nine minutes on average.
Survey results are published biweekly and are available by sector, state, and for the 25 largest metropolitan statistical areas. New questions related to artificial intelligence were introduced on November 17 and are expected to be included in releases starting in 2026. The data provided by BTOS supports local, state, and federal officials with real-time information that aids policymaking and decision-making processes. Businesses also use this information to guide their economic decisions.
There is no accompanying news release for this announcement; only a tip sheet was issued.
