U.S. Department of Commerce

Business Dynamics Statistics

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Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS)

About the BDS

The Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS) annual data series describes establishment–level business dynamics along dimensions absent from similar databases including firm age and firm size. BDS are created from the Longitudinal Business Database (LBD), a confidential database available to qualified researchers through secure Census Bureau Research Data Centers. A unique feature of the BDS is its longitudinal source data that permit tracking establishments and firms over time.

BDS data tables show key economic data:

  • Employment – job creation and destruction
  • Job expansions and contractions
  • Number of establishments
  • Establishment openings and closings

The BDS series provides:

  • Annual statistics for 1976–2010
    • Age and size of firms and establishments
    • State
    • Standard Industrial Classification sectors
  • Coverage of the entire U.S. economy

Learn More



 2010 BDS Released

Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS) data are now available through 2010. The latest release of the BDS includes tables by establishment characteristics in addition to tables by firm characteristics. For more information, see BDS Brief 6 on the BDS Publications page.

>> 2010 BDS Data


 BDS Partners

The Center for Economic Studies development of the BDS was partially funded by:

Kauffman Foundation
Small Business Administration


 What is the SynLBD?

The Synthetic Longitudinal Business Database (SynLBD) is a beta version of a public–use synthetic longitudinal business microdata product that provides researchers a way to explore relationships in the microdata while protecting the confidentiality of establishments' information.


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Source: U.S. Census Bureau | Center for Economic Studies | (301) 763-6460 | E-mail CES |  Last Revised: June 22, 2012