What changed
U.S. business applications edged up in September. The Census Bureau reported 534,947 business applications for September 2026, adjusted for seasonal variation, a 0.5% increase from August 2026.
Census also reported 29,022 projected business formations within four quarters, adjusted for seasonal variation, up 1.4% from August.
The official release is here: https://www.census.gov/econ/bfs/current/index.html
What it means for the shop
Do not read the 534,947 figure as 534,947 new businesses opening in September. Census says business applications are based on applications for Employer Identification Numbers. Employer business formations are based on first payroll tax liability records.
The 29,022 projected formations number is also forward-looking. Census says it estimates startups that will appear within four quarters from applications filed in the month, and does not estimate the total number of business startups that appeared within a specific month.
For owners watching local competition or startup activity, the September topline is a broad national signal, not a direct count of new HVAC, plumbing, electrical, cleaning, landscaping, or auto repair firms in your market. Census documentation supports monthly data nationally, by region and state, and by 2-digit NAICS industry sector at the national level. The supplied documentation does not describe monthly state-level or 6-digit trade-level BFS series for individual service trades.
What remains unknown
The supplied September release text does not provide high-propensity business application counts, planned-wage application counts, corporation application counts, or year-over-year changes for September 2026.
The supplied pages also do not provide September state and regional changes, a 12-month trend, a pre-pandemic baseline, or service-trade-specific changes for HVAC, plumbing, electrical, cleaning, landscaping, or auto repair.
Census notes that the next BFS annual update is scheduled for the October 2026 monthly release on Nov. 12, 2026. The update will revise formation series and recompute seasonal factors, which will revise seasonally adjusted series. Owners using the data for planning should check the updated series after that release.
Sources
- Primary authority
census.gov: Business Formation Statistics - Interested party
knockio.com: What Is a Home Service Business? The Verticals, the Costs, and the Numbers That Check Out - Interested party
smarfle.com: Small Business Statistics & Research - Interested party
ctacquisitions.com: The Business Churn Report 2026: Formation, Exit, and Survival Rates by Trade - Primary authority
census.gov: Business Formation Statistics Press Release - Primary authority
census.gov: Business Formation Statistics Monthly Data Release — September 2026 - Primary authority
census.gov: https://www.census.gov/econ/bfs/pdf/bfs_current.pdf - Primary authority
census.gov: Business Formation Statistics - Methodology - Primary authority
census.gov: Business Formation Statistics - Primary authority
census.gov: Business Formation Statistics - About the Data - Primary authority
census.gov: Business Formation Statistics - Primary authority
census.gov: https://www.census.gov/econ/bfs/pdf/historic/bfs_2026m03.pdf