July 2026Latest published
578,926 Business applications filed
The highest seasonally adjusted monthly total in the current series, which begins in July 2004. Applications are not openings.
Source: U.S. Census BureauBusiness data, clearly explained
What the numbers say about starting and running a business.
BizFacts follows business formation, employment, and the ways customers find companies — using primary data and plain-English analysis.
The numbers in context
A few figures worth understanding.
July 2026Latest published
151,857 High-propensity applications
26.2% of all applications. This narrower category has characteristics historically associated with employer formation.
Source: U.S. Census BureauPublished Feb. 2026Latest published
82.3% Small firms with no employees
29.8 million of the 36.2 million small businesses in SBA’s latest published count are nonemployers.
Source: SBA Office of AdvocacyLatest report · Business formation
A record month, driven almost entirely by retail filings.
Retail applications added 43,523 while the national total rose by 43,236. The narrower indicators moved much less.
- +23.4%applications compared with revised July 2025
- +44.5%monthly increase in retail applications
- −1.6%monthly change in applications with planned wages
Retail produced more than the entire monthly increase.
Retail applications rose by 43,523 while all other industries declined by a combined 287, leaving a national increase of 43,236.
Retail trade contributed +43,523 applications from June to July 2026. All other industries combined contributed −287. The net national change was +43,236.
The question behind the number
How many small businesses are in the United States?
36,207,130
That is the SBA Office of Advocacy’s latest published count as of February 2026. About 29.8 million have no employees, which matters when comparing “businesses” with “employer firms.”
See the definition, breakdown, and source → Definition note
“Small business” is not one universal size.
The SBA generally uses fewer than 500 employees for research. Program-specific size standards vary by industry and can use employees or annual receipts.
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