The Census Bureau seeks public comment on research into alternative reporting options for private companies by November 29, 2026.
Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register on August 1, 2025.
“Over recent years, the U.S. Census Bureau has faced the challenge of declining response rates across its business surveys. In response, the Census Bureau is actively seeking innovative approaches to ensure the continued collection of critical economic statistics. Such collection approaches are intended to minimize burden on businesses for reporting to economic surveys and censuses.”
The Bureau “intends to use data collected through alternative approaches in a manner that would maximize utility of the data collected, enhance timeliness of statistical products and improve data consistency, while reducing operational costs and ensuring privacy and confidentiality. As technology continues to advance, the U.S. Census Bureau is evolving its data collection methods to better serve both respondents and the agency.”
The Census Project recently discussed this research area with Federal News Network.
The Census Bureau is requesting “a new generic clearance to research alternative methods for companies to provide data for business survey(s) and to assess suitability and feasibility of reporting company survey data via alternative data sources, such as submitting non-standard files or automated reporting. In collaboration with the companies that will participate in this research, the Census Bureau hopes to develop and refine these alternative reporting methods, enhance data collection, and reduce reporting burden. These improvements aim to streamline data submission processes for companies, increase data accuracy, and enable the Census Bureau to produce more timely and relevant business statistics.”
The Bureau says it will share insights from this effort “with other federal statistical agencies, such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.”
- Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Generic Clearance for Conducting Research Into Company Alternative Reporting Options https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/29/2026-22117/agency-information-collection-activities-submission-to-the-office-of-management-and-budget-omb-for
