0 to 1 · Research note · 5 Oct 2026
US business applications up 82% since August 2019; filings with planned wages down 15%
On 11 September 2026 the US Census Bureau published Business Formation Statistics for August 2026: 531,728 seasonally adjusted business applications, against 292,063 in August 2019. Over the same two months, applications that state a planned date for paying wages fell from 40,261 to 34,263. This note sets out the four Census series behind those figures, the arithmetic applied to them, and what the data does not show.
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Every number, and where it comes from
The first five figures in the note.
The full table has 15 rows. Each figure is as published on the date shown, with its denominator.
| Figure | What it measures | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 531,728 | Business applications (EIN filings), United States, single month August 2026, seasonally adjusted | US Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics, 11 Sep 2026 |
| 292,063 | Business applications, United States, single month August 2019, seasonally adjusted, current data vintage | US Census Bureau via FRED series BABATOTALSAUS, updated 11 Sep 2026 |
| +82% | Change in monthly business applications, August 2019 to August 2026. Author's arithmetic: (531,728 - 292,063) / 292,063 = 239,665 / 292,063 = 82.06% | Derived from Census and FRED BABATOTALSAUS, 11 Sep 2026 |
| -7.8% | Change in business applications, July 2026 to August 2026, United States, seasonally adjusted, as stated by Census. Author's check on FRED levels: 531,728 / 576,512 - 1 = -7.77% | US Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics, 11 Sep 2026 |
| 576,512 | Business applications, United States, single month July 2026, seasonally adjusted, as shown in FRED after the 11 September 2026 update | US Census Bureau via FRED series BABATOTALSAUS, updated 11 Sep 2026 |
10 more figures in the PDF, each with its source.
Sources
6 primary releases.
- US Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics, August 2026 (current release page, CB26-148) (11 September 2026)"Business Applications for August 2026, adjusted for seasonal variation, were 531,728, a decrease of 7.8 percent compared to July 2026." "Projected Business Formations (within 4 quarters) for August 2026, adjusted for seasonal variation, were 28,501, a decrease of 4.6 percent compared to July 2026."census.gov
- US Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics, definitions (Fetched 2 October 2026)Planned-wage applications are defined as "High-Propensity Business Applications that indicate a first wages-paid date on the IRS Form SS-4." "The projected number of employer businesses that originate from Business Applications within four quarters from the month of application."census.gov
- FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (Census data), BABATOTALSAUS: Business Applications, Total, Seasonally Adjusted, United States (Updated 11 September 2026)Data rows as returned by the fetch tool: "2019-08-01 | 292,063". Also returned: 2026-08-01, 531,728; 2026-07-01, 576,512. Header: "Seasonal Adjustment: Seasonally Adjusted".fred.stlouisfed.org
- FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (Census data), BAWBATOTALSAUS: Business Applications with Planned Wages, Seasonally Adjusted, United States (Updated 11 September 2026)Data rows as returned by the fetch tool: "2019-08-01 | 40,261 ; 2026-08-01 | 34,263".fred.stlouisfed.org
- FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (Census data), BAHBATOTALSAUS: High-Propensity Business Applications, Seasonally Adjusted, United States (Updated 11 September 2026)Data rows as returned by the fetch tool: "2019-08-01 | 110,912 ; 2026-08-01 | 145,387".fred.stlouisfed.org
- FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (Census data), BFPBF4QTOTALSAUS: Projected Business Formations within Four Quarters, Seasonally Adjusted, United States (Updated 11 September 2026)Data row as returned by the fetch tool: "2019-08-01 | 20,591".fred.stlouisfed.org