Business · Facts & sources
6 sourced facts about startups and new businesses, each with the context behind the number. 4 more are in today's round and appear here after it closes.
Answerabout 5.67 million
The Census Bureau tracks new business applications through IRS applications for an Employer Identification Number (EIN).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics monthly data file (CSV) (2025) census.gov
AnswerFlorida (about 648,000)
Florida's total topped every other state, including far more populous California.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics monthly data file (CSV) (2025) census.gov
AnswerRetail trade (about 1.17 million)
Professional, scientific and technical services ranked second with about 764,000, and construction third.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics monthly data file (CSV) (2025) census.gov
Answerabout 62% higher (5.67M vs 3.50M)
Business applications jumped during the pandemic and have stayed well above pre-2020 levels.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics monthly data file (CSV) (2025) census.gov
Answerabout 30% (1.71M of 5.67M)
High-propensity applications have characteristics the Census Bureau associates with a greater likelihood of turning into a business formation.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics monthly data file (CSV) (2025) census.gov
Answer11.7 employees
Survivors tend to grow — even as the total number of establishments in the group shrank by nearly two-thirds.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, Table 7 (2025) bls.gov