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 projections. The survey covers multiunit and multilocation businesses, collecting information on key economic indicators such as revenues, employees, hours worked, and inventories.
According to the Census Bureau, BTOS represents all employer businesses in the United States except for farms. The survey delivers continuous data every two weeks with geographic and subsector detail. This approach helps capture the effects of events like natural disasters or economic crises and supports monitoring recovery efforts.
The BTOS sample includes about 1.2 million businesses, with biweekly data collection divided into six panels of roughly 200,000 cases each. Each panel is asked to report every 12 weeks over a year. Completing the survey takes an average respondent about nine minutes.
Data from BTOS will be released every two weeks and made available by sector, state, and for the 25 most populous metropolitan statistical areas. The results provide local, state, and federal officials with timely information for policymaking and decision-making. Businesses can also use this data to inform their own economic decisions.
“No news release associated with this announcement. Tip sheet only,” stated the U.S. Census Bureau.
