The U.S. Census Bureau released new data products from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS) on March 12, 2026. The survey measures business conditions and projections on an ongoing basis, providing information that complements other economic surveys.
The BTOS covers all employer businesses in the United States except farms, offering insight into the state of the economy with continuous and timely data every two weeks. This approach allows for detailed geographic and subsector analysis, helping to capture the effects of events such as natural disasters or economic crises and supporting efforts to monitor recovery.
Approximately 1.2 million businesses are included in the BTOS sample, with biweekly data collection. These businesses are divided into six panels of about 200,000 each, reporting every twelve weeks over a year. According to the Census Bureau, it takes respondents an average of nine minutes to complete the survey, including time spent reviewing instructions and answers.
Data from BTOS will be released biweekly by sector, state, and for the twenty-five most populous metropolitan statistical areas. New questions regarding artificial intelligence were added on November 17, 2025; results from these questions are expected to be released in spring 2026. The survey’s findings provide local, state, and federal officials with real-time data essential for policymaking and decision-making while also assisting businesses in making informed economic decisions.
No formal news release accompanied this announcement; instead, a tip sheet was provided.
