The U.S. Census Bureau has released new data from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS), which tracks business conditions and projections across the United States. The survey, conducted on an ongoing basis, now includes information from multiunit and multilocation businesses.
The BTOS is designed to provide continuous and timely economic data every two weeks, excluding farms. It collects key metrics such as revenues, employee numbers, hours worked, and inventories. This frequent data collection allows for detailed insights into the state of the economy at both geographic and industry subsector levels. The survey’s design helps capture the effects of significant events like natural disasters or economic crises, aiding in monitoring recovery efforts.
Approximately 1.2 million businesses are included in the BTOS sample. These are divided into six panels of about 200,000 businesses each; each panel reports every 12 weeks over a year. According to the Census Bureau, “The Census Bureau estimates it takes the average respondent approximately nine minutes to complete the survey, including the time for reviewing the instructions and answers.”
Data from BTOS will be made available biweekly by sector, state, and for the 25 most populous metropolitan statistical areas. The results are intended to support local, state, and federal officials with real-time information for policymaking and decision-making processes. Businesses can also use this information to guide their own economic decisions.
According to a statement from the agency: “No news release associated with this announcement. Tip sheet only.”
