Census Invites Gripes on Yearly Business Data Drag
Published Date: 3/31/2025
Notice
Summary
The Census Bureau is updating its Annual Business Survey for 2025, asking about business activities like innovation, technology, and owner demographics. Around 230,000 businesses with $1,000+ in receipts will spend about 29 minutes each to help improve data that shapes the economy. This survey helps track business trends and supports important economic measures like GDP, with a chance for the public to comment before final approval.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Smaller ABS Sample Lowers Selection
If your business files IRS tax forms and has receipts of $1,000 or more, the Census Bureau reduced the 2025 Annual Business Survey sample to about 230,000 (222,000 employer businesses plus 8,000 nonprofits). The reduction and new sampling changes are designed to decrease the chance your business is picked year after year, which should cut how often you may be asked to respond.
Selected Firms Must Respond (29 Minutes)
If your firm is selected for the 2025 ABS, response is mandatory and the average time per response is 29 minutes. The ABS initial mailing is scheduled for July 2025 and responses will be due about 30 days after that.
Nonprofits Only Asked R&D Questions
About 8,000 nonprofit organizations will be sampled in 2025 and will only be asked questions about research activities (R&D); they will not be asked owner demographic questions. Nonprofit R&D data will be used for national R&D estimates and publications.
Telephone Follow-Up Removed; Web Collection
The 2025 ABS will be collected electronically via a web questionnaire and the Census Bureau removed Telephone Follow-Up to reduce types of contacts and increase cost savings. The bureau plans two follow-up mailings (and an optional third) and may do email follow-up for select nonrespondents.
Large Firms Kept in Sample With Certainty
The Census Bureau will select some companies with certainty based on volume of sales, payroll, and number of paid employees or NAICS; these certainty cases are always selected and represent only themselves. This means large firms meeting those criteria will be required survey respondents every cycle.
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