Among the improved ways to collect survey responses:

• To simplify the process for select industries, AIES data collection will no longer include multiple steps in a spreadsheet format for businesses with one location. Instead, they will fill out a single, straightforward form.
• Businesses with multiple locations previously had to report revenue and payroll at the company level and for each location separately. Now, they will only have to report at the individual location level and total company-level figures will be calculated automatically.

These changes are aimed at reducing redundancy; improving data accuracy and reliability; and making reporting less burdensome.

To make it easier for respondents to report data, the AIES will collect fewer revenue and expense details from some industries.

Additionally, the Census Bureau consolidated some items to eliminate redundancy. For example, it combined questions related to capital expenditures to reduce the amount of content requested.

Simplifying survey content helps to improve a data user’s ability to access information previously unpublished due to confidentiality protections.

National, regional, divisional and state statistics for the 2023 survey year (collected in 2024) will be released beginning this summer.

The first wave in this data release will include summary statistics on revenue, payroll and employment at the North American Industry Classification System sector and subsector levels, providing valuable insights into economic trends.