The Center for Economic Studies (CES) is extending the Longitudinal Business Database (LBD), by matching additional datasets from a variety of sources. CES is developing a suite of experimental Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS) products using these newly linked data. These products expand the LBD/BDS data infrastructure and provide additional public use information about how firm characteristics relate to employment flows.

Experimental BDS data products are released on a rolling basis, with the following data products currently in research phase:

BDS-Globally Engaged Firms: Service Traders
BDS-Globally Engaged Firms: Multinationals
BDS-Revenue
BDS-Innovative Firms: Trademarking
BDS-Firm Finance

EXP-BDS Data Products

BDS-Globally Engaged Firms

Describes the business dynamics of globally engaged firms. Firms can be globally engaged on three main dimensions: goods traders, services traders, multinationals.

BDS-Goods Traders: goods traders are defined as firms that export and import goods. Released December 2021, updated October 2024
BDS-Services Traders: services traders are defined as firms that export and import services (444 KB). In research phase
BDS-Multinationals: multinationals are defined as firms that directly invest abroad in a foreign business (USDIA) and U.S. firms in which there is foreign direct investment (FDIUS). See Kamal et. al. (2022) for a description of the BEA-Census matched data and preliminary results. In research phase

Learn More About BDS-Goods Traders

BDS-Innovative Firms

Describes subpopulations of firms engaged in activities related to innovation.

BDS-High Tech: merges industry-level information on STEM occupation intensity, as described in Goldschlag and Miranda (2016). Released November 2022, updated October 2024
BDS-High Growth: BDS- High Growth provides business dynamics statistics along the firm growth rate distribution. These data allow users to see the characteristics of firms that grow or contract quickly. For more details see Kim et al. (2024). Released March 2024, updated October 2024
BDS-Patenting Firms: BDS-Patenting Firms provides business dynamics statistics for firms with a patent grant. These data allow users to see the characteristics of patenting firms. Released April 2025
BDS-Trademarking: merges trademark records from USPTO, as described in Dinlersoz et. al. (2018). In research phase

Learn More About BDS-High Tech Firms Learn More About BDS-High Growth Firms Learn More About BDS-Patenting Firms

BDS-Single Unit Firms with Revenue

This quarterly data product tracks the business activity of small businesses with a single location. It measures employment and payroll four times a year, and revenue annually for businesses that are active in each quarter. This makes it well-suited for analyzing economic disruptions within a year, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Released December 2022, updated October 2024

Learn More About BDS-Single Unit Firms with Revenue

BDS-SBA COVID Response

Merges SBA data about their assistance to small businesses in 2020 and 2021, which will eventually include information about the Paycheck Protection Program, COVID-Economic Injury Disaster Loans, Shuttered Venue Operators Grants and the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. Released January 2025

Learn More About BDS-SBA COVID Response

BDS-Coastal Counties

Divides counties into Coastal Shoreline (CS), Coastal Non-Shoreline (CNS), and Non-Coastal (NC) categories based on definitions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and then calculates job creation, job destruction, openings, and closings for businesses in these areas. This new experimental product allows for comparisons across industries and coastal regions of the impact of natural disasters and other events that affect coastal areas. Released January 2025

Learn More About BDS-Coastal Counties

BDS-Human Capital

Uses administrative earnings records to match individual workers to firms found in the LBD to create summary measures of the demographic characteristics of workers at each firm. This new experimental product tabulates employment, establishment, and firm dynamics based on each firm’s workforce composition, as well as its interaction with other firm characteristics such as industry sector, state, firm age, and firm size. Released April 2025

Learn More About BDS-Human Capital

BDS-Revenue

Uses business income tax reports to look at output growth and productivity, building on research by Haltwanger et. al. (2016). In research phase

BDS-Firm Finance

Describes the business dynamics of publicly traded firms and private firms. Links data on financing (including data from the Private Capital Research Institute, Compustat and SEC) to LBD firms, as described in Davis et. al. (2006) Key variables include financing source, firm debt, equity and stock performance. In research phase

Questions? Contact us at ces.bds@census.gov.