The U.S. Census Bureau has just released the latest Business Formation Statistics (BFS) for April 2024, offering valuable insights into new business applications and formations within the United States. Developed in collaboration with economists from various institutions, including the Federal Reserve System and several universities, the BFS provides up-to-date and frequent information on the business landscape in the country.

The BFS dataset comprises 12 series, including four application and eight formation categories, and is published monthly for the nation, regions, and states. The data is available in both seasonally and nonseasonally adjusted formats, offering a comprehensive overview of business trends and developments.

In addition to the BFS report, the U.S. Census Bureau also released the Monthly Puerto Rico Business Applications dataset, providing similar insights into business activities in Puerto Rico. This experimental data product includes four monthly business applications series and follows the same methodology as the BFS, offering a comparative analysis of business trends between Puerto Rico and the mainland United States.