US new business applications tracker
534,947 business applications were filed in the United States in September 2026, according to the Census Bureau's Business Formation Statistics, +0.5% from August 2026 and +4.4% from a year earlier. That is about 82% above the monthly average for 2019, before the pandemic.
Refreshed 27 October 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics.
Business applications, last 24 months
| Month | Applications | Monthly change | Annual change |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 534,947 | +0.5% | +4.4% |
| August 2026 | 532,051 | −7.7% | +11.4% |
| July 2026 | 576,264 | +8.0% | +23.2% |
| June 2026 | 533,453 | +0.9% | +15.3% |
| May 2026 | 528,929 | +4.4% | +17.9% |
| April 2026 | 506,807 | +2.6% | +11.1% |
| March 2026 | 493,792 | −0.5% | +7.1% |
| February 2026 | 496,121 | −5.7% | +14.6% |
| January 2026 | 526,115 | +6.0% | +36.4% |
| December 2025 | 496,139 | −7.7% | +6.8% |
| November 2025 | 537,266 | +7.8% | +20.4% |
| October 2025 | 498,416 | −2.8% | +16.8% |
| September 2025 | 512,569 | +7.3% | +20.0% |
| August 2025 | 477,591 | +2.1% | +9.5% |
| July 2025 | 467,687 | +1.1% | +10.1% |
| June 2025 | 462,692 | +3.1% | +6.1% |
| May 2025 | 448,815 | −1.6% | +4.9% |
| April 2025 | 456,024 | −1.1% | +5.7% |
| March 2025 | 461,056 | +6.5% | +6.9% |
| February 2025 | 432,820 | +12.2% | −2.5% |
| January 2025 | 385,618 | −17.0% | −14.3% |
| December 2024 | 464,450 | +4.1% | +2.3% |
| November 2024 | 446,146 | +4.5% | −2.1% |
| October 2024 | 426,875 | −0.1% | −9.3% |
About these figures
Business applications are counted from applications for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) filed with the Internal Revenue Service, the first formal step most new businesses take. The Census Bureau publishes the counts in its Business Formation Statistics, leaving out EIN filings that are not tied to starting a business, such as those for estates and trusts.
Not every application becomes an operating business, and many never hire staff; the Census Bureau also publishes projections of applications likely to turn into employer businesses. Since mid-2004 the highest seasonally adjusted month was July 2026, with 576,264 applications.
Figures are seasonally adjusted and recent months can be revised. The page is checked against the latest release every day; changes and averages are calculated by CorporaWire from the official counts.
Suggested source citation: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Applications: Total for All NAICS in the United States [BABATOTALSAUS], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
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