The U.S. Census Bureau has announced a series of recent and upcoming data releases, providing crucial insights into the nation's economic landscape. These reports cover business formation, economic trends, and key construction and retail indicators.
On August 12, the Bureau released its Business Formation Statistics (BFS) for July 2026, offering timely information on new business applications and formations across the United States and Puerto Rico. The following day, August 13, saw the release of the Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS), an experimental data product measuring ongoing business conditions for employer businesses, excluding farms. BTOS data, released biweekly, provides detailed economic measures by sector, state, employment size, and major metropolitan areas.
Looking ahead, Tuesday, August 18, 2026, will feature two significant releases: New Residential Construction data for July 2026 at 8:30 a.m., covering building permits, housing starts, and completions, followed by the Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales for the 2nd Quarter 2026 at 10 a.m. Thursday, August 20, 2026, at 10 a.m., will bring the Advance Quarterly Services Report for the 2nd Quarter 2026. A Biweekly Tip Sheet is also scheduled for Friday, August 21, 2026. These reports aim to inform policymakers, businesses, and the public.