Small Business Data Resources

Explore key datasets highlighting small business contributions and inform policymaking with accurate insights.

Overview

The Office of Advocacy disseminates small business economic data and statistics to highlight their economic contributions and importance to policymakers. Below are links to the main public datasets for assessing the small business economy. For additional economic datasets on small businesses, see Small Business Data Resources (.xls). For federal agencies conducting RFA analyses, see RFA Data Resources for Federal Agencies.

Core Datasets

  • Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB)
    SUSB provides annual data on the number of employer businesses, employment, and payroll by business size, industry, and geographic area. The Office of Advocacy partially funds the SUSB data series.
  • Nonemployer Statistics (NES)
    Yearly insights on non-employer businesses, those without paid staff, covering counts and receipts by sector and location.
  • NES by Demographics (NES-D)
    NES-D provides annual data on the number of business owners of nonemployer businesses by sex, ethnicity, race, and veteran status by industry and geographic area. The Office of Advocacy partially funds the NES-D data series.
  • Annual Business Survey (ABS)
    ABS provides annual data on the number of business owners of employer businesses by sex, ethnicity, race, and veteran status by industry and geographic area.
  • Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS)
    BDS provides annual data on business startups and exits by size and age of business.
  • Small Business Pulse Survey (SBPS)
    SBPS provides weekly data on the effects of the pandemic on small businesses by industry and geographic area, such as overall impacts, changes in operations, challenges and needs, finances, and expectations.
  • Business Employment Dynamics (BED)
    BED provides quarterly data on job gains and job losses by business size.

How We Support You

  • For Policymakers & Analysts
    Utilize these authoritative datasets to understand trends, target support, and measure impact.
  • For Small Business Stakeholders
    Discover where your business stands regionally, how the broader economy is evolving, or assess competitive landscapes.