The U.S. Census Bureau released new Business Formation Statistics for February 2026, according to a March 11 announcement. The data provide updated information on new business applications and formations across the United States and Puerto Rico.
These statistics are important because they offer timely insights into economic activity related to business creation, which can be used by policymakers, researchers, and the public to track trends in entrepreneurship and economic growth.
The monthly release includes all twelve series of the Business Formation Statistics: four application series and eight formation series. Data are available at the national, regional, and state levels. For Puerto Rico, four monthly business applications series are included as part of the standard product. The dataset features both seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted figures.
The Business Formation Statistics were developed through research collaboration between the Census Bureau and economists from several institutions, including the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, the University of Maryland, and the University of Notre Dame.
No separate news release was issued with this announcement; it was distributed as a tip sheet.
