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Resource Library
Longitudinal Business Database (LBD)
Longitudinal Business Database (LBD)
The Longitudinal Business Database (LBD) restricted-use microdata is accessible only to qualified researchers for approved projects in secure Federal Statistical Research Data Centers. By itself or linked to other Census products, the LBD provides important new insights about business formation and growth, the nature of competition, labor market dynamics, the nature of business cycles, the sources of productivity growth and the connections to credit markets and financing to name a few. The LBD and Business Dynamic Statistics (BDS) are unique among U.S. longitudinal business databases in providing consistent measures of economic activity at both the establishment and the firm level over a long period of time.
The LBD is a census of business establishments and firms in the U.S. with paid employees comprised of survey and administrative records. The LBD covers all industries and all U.S. States.
LBD Restricted–Use Microdata
| Sector | Economic – Establishment Surveys and Data |
|---|---|
| Industry | Economy–wide |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Sponsor | Census Bureau |
| Unit of Enumeration | Establishment |
| Availability | 1976–2021 |
| Observations | Over 8.5 million in 2013 |
Related Links
Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS)
Tabulations of establishment openings/closings, firm startups/shutdowns, and job creation/destruction, with unique information on firm age and firm size.
Dataset
Synthetic Longitudinal Business Database (SynLBD)
Synthetic microdata on all U.S. establishments.
Working Paper
Redesigning the Longitudinal Business Database
This paper documents the recent redesign to the Longitudinal Business Database (LBD), which tracks U.S. employer business establishments between 1976 and 2018.
Page Last Revised - October 2, 2023
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