Which type of merchant wholesaler comprises the largest percentage of merchant wholesalers

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role in wholesaling

  • In wholesaling

    …main categories of wholesalers: (1) merchant wholesalers, (2) manufacturers’ sales branches, and (3) merchandise agents and brokers. The most important are the merchant wholesalers. These independent businesses buy merchandise in large quantities from manufacturers, process and store that merchandise, and redistribute it to retailers and others. Manufacturers’ sales branches are…

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Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods: NAICS 423

On This Page

  • About the Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods subsector
  • BLS Data
    • Workforce Statistics
    • Earnings and Hours
    • Fatalities, Injuries, and Illnesses
    • Prices
    • Workplace Trends

About the Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods subsector

The merchant wholesalers, durable goods subsector is part of the wholesale trade sector.

Industries in the Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods subsector sell capital or durable goods to other businesses. Merchant wholesalers generally take title to the goods that they sell; in other words, they buy and sell goods on their own account. Durable goods are new or used items generally with a normal life expectancy of three years or more. Durable goods merchant wholesale trade establishments are engaged in wholesaling products, such as motor vehicles, furniture, construction materials, machinery and equipment (including household-type appliances), metals and minerals (except petroleum), sporting goods, toys and hobby goods, recyclable materials, and parts.

North American Industry Classification System

The merchant wholesalers, durable goods subsector consists of these industry groups:

  • Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers: NAICS 4231
  • Furniture and Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers: NAICS 4232
  • Lumber and Other Construction Materials Merchant Wholesalers: NAICS 4233
  • Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers: NAICS 4234
  • Metal and Mineral (except Petroleum) Merchant Wholesalers: NAICS 4235
  • Electrical and Electronic Goods Merchant Wholesalers: NAICS 4236
  • Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers: NAICS 4237
  • Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers: NAICS 4238
  • Miscellaneous Durable Goods Merchant Wholesalers: NAICS 4239

Workforce Statistics

This section provides information relating to employment in merchant wholesalers, durable goods. These data are obtained from employer or establishment surveys. The following tables present an overview of the industry including the number of jobs, data for occupations common to the industry, and projections of occupational employment change.

Employment

Data seriesBack
data
Jul.
2022
Aug.
2022
Sep.
2022
Oct.
2022

Employment (in thousands)

Employment, all employees (seasonally adjusted)

Which type of merchant wholesaler comprises the largest percentage of merchant wholesalers

3,240.4 3,247.2 (p)3,253.9 (p)3,262.6

Employment, production and nonsupervisory employees

Which type of merchant wholesaler comprises the largest percentage of merchant wholesalers

2,583.6 2,578.3 (p)2,575.9  

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Employment by Occupation

Data seriesEmployment,
2021

Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand

189,290

Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products

414,860

Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products

83,160

Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks

78,630

Truck drivers, light or delivery services

87,400

(Source: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics)

Projections

For projected (future) employment estimates, see the National Employment Matrix, which includes employment estimates by industry and occupation for merchant wholesalers, durable goods.

(Source: Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections)

Earnings and Hours

This section presents data on employee earnings and weekly hours. The latest industry averages of hourly earnings and weekly hours are shown. In addition, recent hourly and annual earnings are shown for occupations commonly found in merchant wholesalers, durable goods.

Earnings and Hours of All Employees

Data seriesBack
data
Jun.
2022
Jul.
2022
Aug.
2022
Sep.
2022

Average hourly earnings

Which type of merchant wholesaler comprises the largest percentage of merchant wholesalers

$34.77 $35.18 $35.04 (p)$35.45

Average weekly hours

Which type of merchant wholesaler comprises the largest percentage of merchant wholesalers

39.4 39.5 39.4 (p)39.2

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Earnings and Hours of Production and Nonsupervisory Employees

Data seriesBack
data
Jun.
2022
Jul.
2022
Aug.
2022
Sep.
2022

Average hourly earnings

Which type of merchant wholesaler comprises the largest percentage of merchant wholesalers

$29.16 $29.48 $29.43 (p)$29.86

Average weekly hours

Which type of merchant wholesaler comprises the largest percentage of merchant wholesalers

39.5 39.5 39.4 (p)39.3

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Earnings by Occupation

Data seriesWages, 2021
HourlyAnnual
MedianMeanMedianMean

Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand

17.59 17.62 36,590 36,640

Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products

29.19 33.95 60,700 70,620

Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products

38.22 44.76 79,500 93,100

Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks

17.84 18.56 37,100 38,600

Truck drivers, light or delivery services

17.55 17.60 36,500 36,620

(Source: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics)

This section presents data for the industry on the number of workplace fatalities and the rates of workplace injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers in merchant wholesalers, durable goods. An injury or illness is considered to be work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the resulting condition or significantly aggravated a pre-existing condition.

Data series2017201820192020

Fatalities

Number of fatalities

85 114 94 81

Blank cells indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.

Data series2021

Rate of injury and illness cases per 100 full-time workers

Total recordable cases

2.1

Cases involving days away from work, job restriction, or transfer

1.3

Cases involving days away from work

0.8

Cases involving days of job transfer or restriction

0.5

Blank cells indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.

(Source: Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities)

Prices

This section provides industry-specific pricing information. The producer price index measures the percentage change in prices that domestic producers receive for goods and services. The prices included in the producer price index are from the first commercial transaction.

Data seriesBack
data
Jul.
2022
Aug.
2022
Sep.
2022
Oct.
2022

Producer price index

Which type of merchant wholesaler comprises the largest percentage of merchant wholesalers

(p)194.814 (p)190.732 (p)191.598 (p)191.659

Percent change from previous month

  (p)0.7% (p)-2.1% (p)0.5% (p)0.0%

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Producer Price Indexes)

This section presents data on the number of establishments in merchant wholesalers, durable goods. Also included in this section is information on productivity, presented as the rate of change in output per hour of workers in the industry.

Establishments

Data seriesBack
data
2nd quarter
2021
3rd quarter
2021
4th quarter
2021
1st quarter
2022

Number of establishments

Private industry

Which type of merchant wholesaler comprises the largest percentage of merchant wholesalers

311,172 314,822 318,278 (p)322,457

Local government

Which type of merchant wholesaler comprises the largest percentage of merchant wholesalers

24 24 25 (p)24

State government

Which type of merchant wholesaler comprises the largest percentage of merchant wholesalers

(p)1      

Federal government

Which type of merchant wholesaler comprises the largest percentage of merchant wholesalers

       

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages)

Productivity

Data seriesBack
data
2018201920202021

Labor productivity index, output per hour

Which type of merchant wholesaler comprises the largest percentage of merchant wholesalers

107.387 105.858 106.430 116.610

Percent change from previous year

Which type of merchant wholesaler comprises the largest percentage of merchant wholesalers

3.7 -1.4 0.5 9.6

Labor index, total labor hours

Which type of merchant wholesaler comprises the largest percentage of merchant wholesalers

106.259 107.616 102.328 104.401

Percent change from previous year

Which type of merchant wholesaler comprises the largest percentage of merchant wholesalers

1.4 1.3 -4.9 2.0

Output index

Which type of merchant wholesaler comprises the largest percentage of merchant wholesalers

114.108 113.921 108.908 121.742

Percent change from previous year

Which type of merchant wholesaler comprises the largest percentage of merchant wholesalers

5.1 -0.2 -4.4 11.8

Unit labor costs index

Which type of merchant wholesaler comprises the largest percentage of merchant wholesalers

106.300 110.731 116.140 114.093

Percent change from previous year

Which type of merchant wholesaler comprises the largest percentage of merchant wholesalers

0.3 4.2 4.9 -1.8

(Source: Productivity and Costs)

Data extracted on: November 18, 2022

What is the most common type of wholesaler?

Merchant wholesalers are the most common type of wholesalers who buy all sorts of different and profitable items from different manufacturers, store them, and sell them to the retailers.

What are types of merchant wholesalers?

Generally, there are two types of merchant wholesalers: full-service wholesalers and limited-service wholesalers.

Are the largest single group of wholesalers?

Merchant wholesalers are the largest single group of wholesalers, accounting for roughly 50 percent of all wholesaling. Merchant wholesalers include two broad types: a. Full-service wholesalers provide a full set of services.

What is an example of a merchant wholesaler?

Merchants wholesalers are known by a variety of trade designations depending on their relationship with suppliers or customers, or the distribution method they employ. Examples include wholesale merchants, wholesale distributors, drop shippers, rack-jobbers, import-export merchants, and banner wholesalers.