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Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods: NAICS 423

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 series Back
data
Nov.
2023
Dec.
2023
Jan.
2024
Feb.
2024

Employment (in thousands)

Employment, all employees (seasonally adjusted)

3,420.5 3,425.3 (p)3,425.5 (p)3,423.8

Employment, production and nonsupervisory employees

2,716.4 2,722.0 (p)2,709.5  

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Employment by Occupation

Data series Employment,
2022

Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand

202,930

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

425,780

Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products

92,310

Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks

83,800

Truck drivers, light or delivery services

85,470

(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 series Back
data
Oct.
2023
Nov.
2023
Dec.
2023
Jan.
2024

Average hourly earnings

$37.22 $37.14 $37.27 (p)$37.41

Average weekly hours

39.7 39.2 39.1 (p)39.1

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Earnings and Hours of Production and Nonsupervisory Employees

Data series Back
data
Oct.
2023
Nov.
2023
Dec.
2023
Jan.
2024

Average hourly earnings

$31.59 $31.53 $31.58 (p)$31.84

Average weekly hours

39.5 39.1 38.9 (p)39.0

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Earnings by Occupation

Data series Wages, 2022
Hourly Annual
Median Mean Median Mean

Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand

17.79 18.39 36,990 38,250

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

29.56 36.06 61,470 75,000

Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products

38.72 47.35 80,540 98,480

Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks

18.29 19.56 38,050 40,690

Truck drivers, light or delivery services

17.85 18.48 37,120 38,440

(Source: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics)

Work-related Fatalities, Injuries, and Illnesses

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 series 2019 2020 2021 2022

Fatalities

Number of fatalities

94 81 93 92

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

Data series 2022

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

Total recordable cases

2.3

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

1.5

Cases involving days away from work

0.9

Cases involving days of job transfer or restriction

0.6

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 series Back
data
Nov.
2023
Dec.
2023
Jan.
2024
Feb.
2024

Producer price index

(p)205.045 (p)199.307 (p)203.640 (p)202.831

Percent change from previous month

  (p)2.8% (p)-2.8% (p)2.2% (p)-0.4%

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Producer Price Indexes)

Workplace Trends

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 series Back
data
4th quarter
2022
1st quarter
2023
2nd quarter
2023
3rd quarter
2023

Number of establishments

Private industry

331,398 (p)332,392 (p)334,316 (p)337,156

Local government

24 (p)28 (p)27 (p)26

State government

       

Federal government

       

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages)

Productivity

Data series Back
data
2019 2020 2021 2022

Labor productivity index, output per hour

108.240 109.609 115.992 116.070

Percent change from previous year

-0.9 1.3 5.8 0.1

Labor index, total labor hours

105.868 99.837 103.123 107.309

Percent change from previous year

1.1 -5.7 3.3 4.1

Output index

114.591 109.431 119.614 124.554

Percent change from previous year

0.1 -4.5 9.3 4.1

Unit labor costs index

110.163 115.688 116.208 122.830

Percent change from previous year

3.9 5.0 0.4 5.7

(Source: Productivity and Costs)

 

Data extracted on: March 15, 2024