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Welcome to the Business Trends and Outlook Survey

The U.S. Census Bureau is requesting your assistance to produce important data on current economic conditions, as well the impact on our nation’s economy when natural disasters or other emergencies occur.

Your response is especially important as it helps policy makers, government officials, and businesses like yours understand these effects. Please complete this quick survey; it will take approximately 8 minutes. We encourage estimating rather than extending the time it takes you to complete the survey.

The data you provide will be aggregated to create a two-week snapshot of economic activity within the U.S. This survey is not intended to replace more comprehensive surveys that typically require the use of company records.

• Estimates are acceptable and encouraged

• The survey will take approximately 8 minutes

• Please include all domestic operations of this consolidated business, including all locations, subsidiaries, and divisions.

For this survey, please provide data for: [Name 1] [Name 2] [Mailing address]

1. FOR SINGLE UNITS ONLY Is the Employer Identification Number (EIN) used on this business’s latest Internal Revenue Service Form 941, Employer's Federal Quarterly Tax Return?

• Yes

• No

If no, please provide EIN:

2. Overall, how would you describe this business’s current performance?

• Excellent

• Above average

• Average

• Below average

• Poor

3. Does this business maintain inventories?

Include inventories of raw materials, work-in-process and finished goods.

• Yes (respondent will receive Q10 and Q21)

• No (go to Q4, respondent will skip Q10 and Q21)

4. Between MMM DD – MMM DD, how did this business’s operating revenues/sales/receipts change?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

5. Between MMM DD – MMM DD, how did this business’s number of paid employees change?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

6. Between MMM DD – MMM DD, how did the total number of hours worked by this business’s paid employees change?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

7. Between MMM DD – MMM DD, did this business use Artificial Intelligence (e.g., machine learning, natural language processing, virtual agents, voice recognition, etc.)?

• Yes

• No

• Do not know

8. Between MMM DD – MMM DD, did this business do any of the following?

Select all that apply.

• Open a new location

• Open a previously closed location

• Temporarily close a location

• Permanently close a location

• None of the above

9. Between MMM DD – MMM DD, how did the time it takes for this business to receive deliveries from suppliers change?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

• Not applicable

10. How would you describe this business’s current inventories? (Only if answered yes on Q3)

• Larger than optimal

• Optimal

• Smaller than optimal

• Not applicable

11. Between MMM DD – MMM DD, how did demand for this business’s goods or services change?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

12. Between MMM DD – MMM DD, how did the prices this business charges for its own goods or services change?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

13. Between MMM DD – MMM DD, how did the prices this business pays for goods or services change?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

14. In the last six months, in what ways did changes to interest rates negatively impact this business? Select all that apply.

• Decreased profitability

• Inability to service debt

• Inability to refinance existing loans

• Inability to invest in this business

• Not applicable

15. In the last six months, did this business experience any monetary losses due to an extreme weather event (for example, hurricane, flood, drought, or heat wave)?

Include incurred costs and losses of sales or assets.

• Yes

• No

The next questions ask you to estimate business trends over the next six months.

16. Six months from now, how do you think you will describe this business’s performance?

• Excellent

• Above average

• Average

• Below average

• Poor

17. Six months from now, how do you think this business’s number of paid employees will have changed?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

18. Six months from now, how do you think the total number of hours worked by this business’s paid employees will have changed?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

19. Six months from now, do you think this business will be using Artificial Intelligence (e.g., machine learning, natural language processing, virtual agents, voice recognition, etc.)?

• Yes

• No

• Do not know

20. Six months from now, how do you think the time it takes for this business to receive deliveries from suppliers will have changed?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

21. Six months from now, how do you think you will describe this business’s inventories? (Only if answered yes on Q3)

• Larger than optimal

• Optimal

• Smaller than optimal

• Not applicable

22. Six months from now, how do you think demand for this business’s goods or services will have changed?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

23. Six months from now, how do you think the prices this business charges for its own goods or services will have changed?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

24. Six months from now, how do you think the prices this business pays for goods or services will have changed?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

25. During the next six months, do you think this business will do any of the following?

Select all that apply.

• Open a new location

• Open a previously closed location

• Temporarily close a location

• Permanently close a location

• None of the above

26. Would you like to provide any information about your responses to these questions or this business?

Remarks (500 characters)

27. Contact information

Contact name:

Contact title:

28. For future Business Trends and Outlook Survey requests, please provide your preferred email address:

This collection has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The eight-digit OMB approval number is 0607-1022 and appears in the lower left corner of each reporting screen. Without this approval, we could not conduct this survey.

Authority and Confidentiality

Title 13, United States Code, Sections 131 and 182, authorizes the U.S. Census Bureau to conduct this collection and to request your voluntary assistance. The Census Bureau is required by Section 9 of the same law to keep your information confidential and use your responses only to produce statistics. The Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release your responses in a way that could identify your business, organization, or institution. Per the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, your data are protected from cybersecurity risks through screening of the systems that transmit your data.

Burden Estimate Statement

We estimate the Business Trends and Outlook Survey will take an average of 8 minutes to complete. Factors such as company size, complexity and activity will affect your actual time to complete the survey. This estimate includes the time to review instructions, search existing data sources, gather and maintain the data needed, and complete and review the survey.

You may email comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: [email protected]. Be sure to use “EID Survey Comments 0607-1022” as the subject.