The U.S. Census Bureau has released new data from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS) as of September 25, 2025. The survey collects ongoing information on business conditions and future expectations, now including data from businesses with multiple units or locations.
BTOS is designed to represent all employer businesses in the United States except for farms. The survey aims to provide up-to-date information about key economic indicators every two weeks, offering insights into revenues, employment levels, hours worked, and inventories. This frequent reporting allows for tracking the effects of events such as natural disasters and economic crises, as well as monitoring recovery efforts.
According to the Census Bureau, the BTOS sample includes roughly 1.2 million businesses that are divided into six panels of about 200,000 each. These panels participate in the survey every 12 weeks over a one-year period. The agency estimates that respondents need approximately nine minutes to complete each survey cycle.
Data from BTOS will be made available biweekly and broken down by industry sector, state, and within the nation’s 25 largest metropolitan statistical areas. Results from this survey are intended to support policymakers at all levels of government with timely data for decision-making processes while also helping businesses make informed economic choices.
No additional news release was issued alongside this announcement; it was distributed as an informational tip sheet.
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