BEA is developing new statistics to better track the economic health and contributions of the nation’s small businesses. Most U.S. businesses are small, and small businesses employ millions of Americans. Policymakers, businesspeople, and many others are seeking more information about how small businesses are faring within the overall economy. While some federal economic statistics are available by business size, the United States has no consistent and comprehensive measure of small business activity.
BEA’s researchers have produced experimental estimates about small business as they work to develop a satellite account – a set of specialized statistics that supplement our core national statistics, such as gross domestic product. The challenges include defining “small business” and accessing source data needed for a Small Business Satellite Account.
- First Quarter Wages and Employment by Industry for Small Businesses Using Establishment-Based Size Classes, 2012–2021 BEA Paper, October 2022
- Data | Wages and Employment by Establishment Size, Q1 2012–Q1 2021 (Excel)
- Updated and Expanded Small Business Statistics: Wages, Employment, and Gross Output by Industry and Enterprise Size, 2012 - 2017 Survey of Current Business, November 2021
- Data | Updated and Expanded Small Business Statistics (Excel)
- A New Understanding of Small Businesses: Wages and Gross Output by Industry and Legal Form of Organization Using Firm Receipts to Classify Business Size, 1998-2003 Survey of Current Business, May 2021
- Data | A New Understanding of Small Businesses, 1998-2003 (Excel)
- Charts | Charting a New Understanding of Small Businesses (PDF)
- R Code | Generating Gross Output and Wages by Size and Legal Form of Organization (Text)
- Measuring the Small Business Economy BEA Paper, March 2020
- Data | Measuring the Small Business Economy (Excel) Annual estimates of employment, wages, and wages per employee by enterprise size and industry, 2012–2016
- Experimental Estimates of Wages and Gross Output by Business Size and Industry, 2002-2012 BEA Paper, December 2017
- Background Information for BEA’s Small Business Satellite Account
- Presentation: Measuring the Small Business Economy BEA Advisory Committee Meeting, November 2020
What Is the Small Business Satellite Account?
These statistics will be an economic measure of small business in the United States. They can answer questions such as: How much do small businesses contribute to the U.S. economy? Which industries drive small business growth? How do these trends change over time?
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Small BusinessTina Highfill