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 includes information from multiunit and multilocation businesses, expanding its coverage beyond previous surveys.
According to the Census Bureau, BTOS covers all employer businesses in the country except for farms. The survey provides continuous and timely economic data every two weeks, offering detailed insights by geography and industry subsector. This allows officials to monitor how events such as natural disasters or economic downturns affect different parts of the economy and supports efforts to track recovery.
Approximately 1.2 million businesses are included in the BTOS sample, with data collected biweekly. These businesses are divided into six panels of about 200,000 each, with each panel reporting every 12 weeks over a year. The Census Bureau estimates that it takes respondents an average of nine minutes to complete the survey.
Results from BTOS will be published every two weeks and will include breakdowns by sector, state, and for the 25 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. New questions on artificial intelligence were added on November 17; results for these questions are expected to be released in 2026. The Census Bureau states that “Survey results give local, state and federal officials essential, real-time data to aid in policymaking and decision-making. In addition, the information aids businesses in making economic decisions.”
There is no separate news release associated with this announcement; it was issued as a tip sheet only.
