U.S. founder reference
Current U.S. business formation and survival statistics, with official sources and clear context for founders.
Enter the tank →U.S. founder reference
A plain-English reference for founders, writers, and investors looking at U.S. business formation and survival. Last updated October 5, 2026.
The important distinction
These figures use official U.S. sources and describe different parts of the same story: people applying to start businesses, businesses expected to form, and employer establishments that remain open over time.
They are useful context, not a substitute for direct evidence from your customer. That part is still on you.
531,728
Seasonally adjusted applications fell 7.8% from July. An application is an intent signal, not proof that a company will open.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics, September 11, 2026 ↗28,501
Census projects these businesses will form with payroll tax liabilities within four quarters of applying.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics, September 11, 2026 ↗79.6%
Of private-sector establishments born in March 2013, 79.6% were still operating in March 2014.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, January 12, 2024 ↗34.7%
A little over one in three private-sector establishments born in March 2013 were still operating in March 2023.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, January 12, 2024 ↗29.1%
For the same 2013 cohort, information-sector establishments had a 29.1% survival rate in March 2023.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, January 12, 2024 ↗20.4 pts
The BLS found the 2013 private-sector cohort lost 20.4 percentage points of survival in its first year, the steepest annual decline in the decade observed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, January 12, 2024 ↗How to use this page
The BLS survival figures track private-sector establishments, not venture-backed software companies, apps, or individual founders. The Census formation figures track applications and projected employer-business formation, not the quality of any one idea. Different definitions, different jobs.
The practical use is simple: if the first year is where survival falls fastest, find the assumption most likely to make your first year fail. Test the buyer, the pain, the willingness to pay, or the channel before you turn optimism into a roadmap.
Method and sources
All figures above are taken directly from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Business Formation Statistics and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Business Employment Dynamics releases. Each card links to the specific source used.
Last checked October 5, 2026. We will review this page monthly, or sooner when a core source releases material new data. Definitions matter, so the original source should travel with every quote.
PivotProof. “U.S. Startup Statistics: Business Formation and Survival.” Updated October 5, 2026. https://pivotproof.org/startup-statistics