The U.S. Census Bureau has published new data from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS), a program designed to track business conditions and future expectations across the country. The BTOS gathers information from businesses with multiple locations, aiming to supplement other economic surveys by collecting details on revenues, employment, work hours, and inventories.
The survey covers all employer businesses in the United States except for farms. It is intended to provide frequent updates on key economic indicators every two weeks. This regular data collection allows for detailed analysis at both geographic and industry levels, helping monitor how events such as natural disasters or economic downturns affect different areas and sectors.
Approximately 1.2 million businesses are included in the BTOS sample. These businesses are divided into six groups of about 200,000 each; every group reports once every 12 weeks over a year-long period. On average, respondents spend around nine minutes completing the survey.
Results from the BTOS will be released every two weeks and will include breakdowns by sector, state, and for the 25 largest metropolitan areas in the country. Starting November 17, new questions about artificial intelligence were added to the survey; findings from these questions are expected to be available in 2026. The data collected helps government officials at all levels make informed policy decisions and also supports business planning efforts.
There was no formal news release associated with this announcement; only a tip sheet was provided.
