New Data for Dynamic Analysis: The Longitudinal Establishment and Enterprise Microdata (Bits) File

Abstract

The Business Information Tracking Series (BITS) file,developed in 1996 by the U. S. Census Bureau and the Small BusinessAdministration's Office of Advocacy, offers numerous research opportunities forscholars frustrated by the lack of accurate and comprehensive longitudinaldata.The BITS file contains information (such as annual payroll and startyear) on the majority of employer businesses from all sectors of the economyand may facilitate research on women and minority-owned businesses, job flows,merger and acquisition activity, and the impact of information technology onbusiness location.Includes information on how researchers may access theBITS file. (SAA)

Keywords: Research tools, Business Information Tracking Series (BITS) dataset, U.S. Bureau of the Census, Surveys, Longitudinal datasets, Census, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Research opportunities