The U.S. Census Bureau released new data products from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey on March 12, 2026. The survey measures business conditions and projections across the United States on an ongoing basis.
The Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS) provides continuous, timely information about key economic indicators such as revenues, employees, hours, and inventories. This data is intended to help local, state, and federal officials make informed policy decisions and assist businesses in their economic planning.
According to the Census Bureau, BTOS covers all employer businesses in the U.S. economy except farms. The survey collects biweekly data from a sample of approximately 1.2 million businesses, divided into six panels of about 200,000 cases each. Each panel is asked to report every twelve weeks over a year-long period. The average respondent spends about nine minutes completing the survey.
Data from BTOS are released every two weeks and are available by sector, state, and for the twenty-five most populous metropolitan statistical areas. In November 2025, new questions regarding artificial intelligence were added to the survey; results from these questions are expected to be released in spring 2026.
The Census Bureau said that by providing detailed geographic and subsector information on a regular basis, BTOS helps capture the effects of events such as natural disasters or economic crises while supporting efforts to monitor recovery.
