The U.S. Census Bureau released new data products from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS) on March 26, providing updated information about business conditions and projections across the United States.
The BTOS is designed to offer continuous, timely insights into key economic measures for all employer businesses in the country, except farms. This survey helps policymakers and business leaders understand current trends by delivering biweekly updates that include geographic and industry-specific details.
According to the Census Bureau, BTOS collects data from approximately 1.2 million businesses every two weeks. The sample is divided into six panels of about 200,000 businesses each, with each panel reporting every twelve weeks over a year. Completing the survey takes respondents an estimated nine minutes on average.
Survey results are made available by sector, state, and for the twenty-five most populous metropolitan statistical areas. Officials at local, state, and federal levels use this real-time data to inform policy decisions while businesses rely on it for economic planning. The survey also includes questions about artificial intelligence starting November 17, 2025; results from these questions will be published in spring of 2026.
BTOS continues to supplement existing economic surveys by capturing information such as revenues, employees, hours worked, and inventories. Its regular release schedule allows for tracking responses to events like natural disasters or economic crises as well as monitoring recovery efforts.
