The U.S. Census Bureau has released a new experimental data product featuring four monthly business applications series for Puerto Rico.

This product provides timely and high frequency data on business applications. It measures business initiation activity as indicated by applications for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) on the IRS Form SS-4. This experimental data product uses the same methodology as the existing Monthly Business Formation Statistics Applications Series. See the Monthly Puerto Rico Business Applications Methodology document for the relevant documentation.

This experimental data product provides a historical data series of monthly business applications for Puerto Rico from July 2004 to February 2024 and will be published monthly going forward. The Puerto Rico Business Applications Series are not included in U.S. or Regional Business Applications Series.

The Census Bureau has reviewed the monthly Puerto Rico data product to ensure appropriate access, use, and disclosure avoidance protection of the confidential source data (Project No. P-7515311, Disclosure Review Board (DRB) approval number: CBDRB‑FY24‑0098). This experimental may not meet some of the Census Bureau’s statistical quality standards. We are seeking feedback from data users and stakeholders on the quality and usefulness of this new product. If this product meets our quality standards and demonstrates sufficient user demand, it may enter regular production and included in the existing BFS Time Series.csv.

Feedback can be shared by email at eid.bfs@census.gov.

March 12, 2024