The U.S. Census Bureau released new data from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS) on April 9, providing updated information on business conditions and projections across the United States.
The BTOS is designed to offer continuous, timely data about key economic measures such as revenues, employees, hours, and inventories. The survey’s ongoing collection aims to help policymakers at all levels of government monitor the state of the economy and respond effectively to events like natural disasters or economic crises.
According to the Census Bureau, BTOS covers all employer businesses in the country except farms. The sample includes approximately 1.2 million businesses that participate in biweekly data collection cycles. These are divided into six panels of around 200,000 businesses each, with each panel asked to report every twelve weeks over a year-long period. Completing the survey takes an average respondent about nine minutes.
Survey results are made available every two weeks by sector, state, and for the twenty-five most populous metropolitan statistical areas. New questions focusing on artificial intelligence were added in November 2025; responses will be published in spring 2026.
According to the Census Bureau’s announcement, “Survey results give local, state and federal officials essential, real-time data to aid in policymaking and decision-making.” Businesses also use this information when making economic decisions.
