The U.S. Census Bureau released new data products from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS) on March 26. The survey measures business conditions and projections across the United States, excluding farms, with an ongoing approach.
BTOS provides continuous and timely data for key economic measures every two weeks, offering insights into the state of the economy for policymakers and businesses alike. The information collected includes revenues, employees, hours worked, and inventories, helping to capture the effects of events such as natural disasters or economic crises while monitoring recovery efforts.
According to the Census Bureau, BTOS samples about 1.2 million businesses using a biweekly collection process. These businesses are divided into six panels of approximately 200,000 each; each panel is surveyed every twelve weeks over a year-long period. The average time needed to complete the survey is estimated at nine minutes per respondent.
Data from BTOS will be available by sector, state, and for the twenty-five most populous metropolitan statistical areas in biweekly releases. In addition to existing questions, new items focusing on artificial intelligence were added on November 17, 2025; results from these questions are expected in Spring 2026.
Survey results provide local, state, and federal officials with essential real-time information that aids in policymaking decisions. Businesses can also use this information to inform their own economic strategies.
