Updated May 1, 2026

Why is there missing data for some years and regions and not others?

Some regions and years may show gaps in the data. These reflect gaps in coverage from the underlying data sources, rather than errors or omissions on our part.

How can I interpret the Early-Stage Entrepreneurship series?

The Early-Stage Entrepreneurship series tracks the earliest stages of business creation, who is starting businesses and why, how many jobs those businesses create, and how many survive their first year. Together, the four measures capture entrepreneurial activity across the United States.

• Rate of new entrepreneurs: The number of adults starting businesses in each month.
• Opportunity share of new entrepreneurs: Measures whether people start a business by choice or out of necessity.
• Startup early survival creation: The number of jobs new businesses create.
• Startup early survival rate: The number of new businesses still operating after one year.

For historical trends and analysis, see the National and State reports.

How can I interpret the New Employer Business series?

The New Employer Business series tracks new businesses that hire their first employee. Together, the four measures tell a connected story about how new employer businesses form, how quickly they grow, and how they compare to the broader business landscape. For example:

• New employer business actualization: The share of all new businesses that hired someone within two years.
• Rate of new employer businesses: The number of new employer businesses relative to the population.
• New employer business velocity: Time from new business application to first hire.
• Employer business newness: The number of new businesses as a share of all new businesses.

How can I interpret the Entrepreneurial Jobs series?

The Entrepreneurial Jobs series focuses on the quantity and quality of private sector jobs with attention to new jobs created, which firms are providing the greatest number of jobs in the economy, employee earnings, and job stability.

• Creation: How many jobs businesses of a given age are adding or cutting in an area, per 1,000 people.
• Contribution: The share of private-sector jobs in an area provided by businesses of a given age group.
• Constancy: Of all workers in an area, how many held stable jobs – meaning they stayed with the same employer for three quarters in a row.
• Compensation: How the average earnings of employees at businesses of a given age compare to the national average.

Why do the national values for the rate of new entrepreneurs and the opportunity share of new entrepreneurs diverge from average state values?

For the rate of new entrepreneurs and opportunity share of new entrepreneurs, national and state values are calculated differently. National estimates use a single year of data. The sample size is large enough to support this. State and demographic estimates use a three-year rolling average to improve precision.

Because rolling averages smooth out year-to-year swings, state and demographic values respond more gradually to sudden shifts, like the economic response to the pandemic.

The two other indicators in this series, early startup job creation and startup early survival rate, do not use rolling averages.

What data sources are used to produce the Kauffman Indicators of Entrepreneurship series?

Early-Stage Entrepreneurship

• Current Population Survey (CPS) – U.S. Census Bureau / Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Business Employment Dynamics (BED) – Bureau of Labor Statistics

Entrepreneurial Jobs

• Quarterly Workforce Indicators (QWI) – U.S. Census Bureau
• Population Estimates Program (PEP) – U.S. Census Bureau

New Employer Businesses

• Business Formation Statistics (BFS) – U.S. Census Bureau
• Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS) – U.S. Census Bureau
• Population Estimates Program (PEP) – U.S. Census Bureau

Do you have demographic data for individual states or for groups other than those presented on the website?

State-level demographic breakdowns are not available. The sample sizes in the underlying data are too small to produce reliable estimates at that level. The demographic groups presented on the website and in the data and reports represent all groups for which we can produce accurate national estimates.

How are demographic groups categorized in the Kauffman Indicators of Entrepreneurship?

The Kauffman Indicators of Entrepreneurship uses the same demographic categories as the underlying data sources.

Are there demographic data for the startup early job creation and startup early survival rate indicators or any of the New Employer Businesses indicators?

Those variables use the BLS BED statistics and Census Bureau BFS statistics. These sources do not include demographics of who owns businesses.

For how many years is data available? Is there additional data available for other years?

Each downloadable data file contains all years available.

Where can I download the data?

Go here to download the data for the Early-Stage Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Jobs, and New Employer Businesses series.

Why might an estimate on the website look a little different from an estimate in a report?

Underlying data sources update on different schedules, and some indicators use projected values that are later revised with final data. As a result, figures on the website may differ slightly from those in published reports depending on when each was produced.

How can I provide feedback?

By using the form below.

Is there someone at Kauffman who I can talk to about the data or reports?

Contact us here and we’ll connect you with the most appropriate person to answer your query.