The U.S. Census Bureau has published new data from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS), which monitors business conditions and forecasts on an ongoing basis. The survey now includes information from businesses with multiple units or locations.
According to the Census Bureau, BTOS collects data that complements other economic surveys, covering areas such as revenue, employment, work hours, and inventories. This continuous collection offers timely insights into key economic indicators every two weeks. The data is designed to represent all employer businesses in the United States except for farms.
BTOS aims to provide detailed geographic and industry-specific information. By releasing data biweekly at sector, state, and major metropolitan area levels, the survey helps track how events like natural disasters or economic downturns affect businesses and recovery efforts.
The sample includes about 1.2 million businesses divided into six panels of approximately 200,000 each. Each panel reports every 12 weeks over a year-long period. On average, respondents spend nine minutes completing the survey.
Survey results are intended to support local, state, and federal officials with real-time data for policymaking and decision-making. Businesses can also use this information when making their own economic plans.
No additional news release was issued with this announcement; only a tip sheet was provided by the Census Bureau.
