• What is the Business Leaders Survey?
• Why do you conduct the survey?
• How long is the survey?
• When and where do I fill out the survey?
• What kind of commitment am I making by participating in the survey?
• What if I don’t respond?
• Will my information be kept confidential?
• How do I sign up?

What is the Business Leaders Survey?
The Business Leaders Survey is a monthly survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York that asks companies across the tri-state region about recent and expected trends in key business indicators. Summary data from the survey are tabulated and analyzed, then released to the public around midmonth. Click here to see the latest survey report. Back to Top

Why do you conduct the survey?
As part of our mission, we collect and disseminate information about regional economic conditions in a frequent and timely fashion. Results from this survey serve as valuable indicators, helping us track regional economic conditions and inform monetary policy decisions. Back to Top

How long is the survey?
The survey consists of about ten questions about the recent direction of a number of indicators for your business, such as prices and employment, including your expectation about these indicators over the next six months. These core questions are followed by a few supplementary questions that change each month (see sample).Typically, the survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete—perhaps a bit less once you get used to it. Back to Top

When and where do I fill out the survey?
On the first of each month, we’ll send you an e-mail providing a secure, personalized link to that month’s questionnaire. Click on the link, fill out the one-page survey, click submit, and you’re done. The system will recognize you from your unique link and automatically fill in all relevant company-specific information (which you have the option to modify). We typically keep the survey open until the 10th or 11th of the month. Back to Top

What kind of commitment am I making by participating in the survey?
While we hope you will be able to take ten minutes or so to respond to the survey in most months, there is no commitment. If you’re too busy or unavailable in a particular month, you can simply not respond. You can withdraw from the survey at any time. Back to Top

What if I don’t respond?
If you have not responded by the 8th of the month, we’ll send you a friendly reminder. If you have not responded for a number of consecutive months, we’ll contact you to find out if you would like to be removed from the survey. Back to Top

Will my information be kept confidential?
Your responses to the survey will be treated confidentially and will not be shared outside the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. However, summary data on overall survey results will be released publicly in online reports and distributed to survey participants. You can see our latest Business Leaders Survey report here. Back to Top

How do I sign up?
Click on the Become a Survey Panelist tab, or call or email our economist who manages the survey, Richard Deitz (716-849-5025 / richard.deitz@ny.frb.org) in our Buffalo office. While not every company will be eligible to participate in the survey, we’ll respond to your request promptly. In addition, we’ll be happy to answer any additional questions or discuss any concerns you might have.BacktoTop

Contact Information
If you have questions on becoming a survey panelist, please contact the economist who manages our surveys, Richard Deitz (716-849-5025 / richard.deitz@ny.frb.org)