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Size of the US Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods industry

NAICS 424, Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods. Every figure on this page was published by a federal statistical agency and carries its source and period. Palanor does not estimate: a period the agency didn’t publish shows as missing, and a figure it withheld shows as withheld.

Key figures

Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)
$6.17 trillion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
2,153,117
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
181,664
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
90,578
2022 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$202 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 2,153,117 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 2,145,8172019-Q2: 2,174,3352019-Q3: 2,151,8962019-Q4: 2,164,2982020-Q1: 2,133,1012020-Q2: 2,015,9412020-Q3: 2,022,3502020-Q4: 2,052,7322021-Q1: 2,038,2992021-Q2: 2,073,3652021-Q3: 2,073,4242021-Q4: 2,126,3092022-Q1: 2,129,2402022-Q2: 2,166,4992022-Q3: 2,174,5092022-Q4: 2,194,0862023-Q1: 2,183,4082023-Q2: 2,218,5562023-Q3: 2,207,2392023-Q4: 2,217,0422024-Q1: 2,197,2912024-Q2: 2,219,9382024-Q3: 2,203,3942024-Q4: 2,204,3622025-Q1: 2,191,8282025-Q2: 2,202,8562025-Q3: 2,181,8412025-Q4: 2,186,9982026-Q1: 2,153,117NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q12,153,1172022
2025-Q42,186,9982022
2025-Q32,181,8412022
2025-Q22,202,8562022
2025-Q12,191,8282022
2024-Q42,204,3622022
2024-Q32,203,3942022
2024-Q22,219,9382022
2024-Q12,197,2912022
2023-Q42,217,0422022
2023-Q32,207,2392022
2023-Q22,218,5562022
2023-Q12,183,4082022
2022-Q42,194,0862022
2022-Q32,174,5092022
2022-Q22,166,4992022
2022-Q12,129,2402022
2021-Q42,126,3092017
2021-Q32,073,4242017
2021-Q22,073,3652017
2021-Q12,038,2992017
2020-Q42,052,7322017
2020-Q32,022,3502017
2020-Q22,015,9412017
2020-Q12,133,1012017
2019-Q42,164,2982017
2019-Q32,151,8962017
2019-Q22,174,3352017
2019-Q12,145,8172017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter

Employment · County Business PatternsLatest 2,358,648 · 2023
2017: 2,363,5502018: 2,381,6872019: 2,367,7202020: 2,328,9322021: 2,228,2992022: 2,334,4212023: 2,358,648
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
20232,358,648
20222,334,421
20212,228,299
20202,328,932
20192,367,720
20182,381,687
20172,363,550

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns · Paid employees in the pay period including March 12

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 181,664 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 166,8972019-Q2: 167,8122019-Q3: 168,7502019-Q4: 169,4642020-Q1: 168,9362020-Q2: 169,2782020-Q3: 170,2282020-Q4: 171,4342021-Q1: 170,1782021-Q2: 171,2972021-Q3: 172,8792021-Q4: 174,5382022-Q1: 176,1982022-Q2: 177,2332022-Q3: 178,9692022-Q4: 179,8912023-Q1: 180,1552023-Q2: 180,2862023-Q3: 181,9572023-Q4: 182,7952024-Q1: 181,1832024-Q2: 181,9142024-Q3: 182,3302024-Q4: 182,6612025-Q1: 180,4832025-Q2: 180,9612025-Q3: 181,6582025-Q4: 181,9852026-Q1: 181,664NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1181,6642022
2025-Q4181,9852022
2025-Q3181,6582022
2025-Q2180,9612022
2025-Q1180,4832022
2024-Q4182,6612022
2024-Q3182,3302022
2024-Q2181,9142022
2024-Q1181,1832022
2023-Q4182,7952022
2023-Q3181,9572022
2023-Q2180,2862022
2023-Q1180,1552022
2022-Q4179,8912022
2022-Q3178,9692022
2022-Q2177,2332022
2022-Q1176,1982022
2021-Q4174,5382017
2021-Q3172,8792017
2021-Q2171,2972017
2021-Q1170,1782017
2020-Q4171,4342017
2020-Q3170,2282017
2020-Q2169,2782017
2020-Q1168,9362017
2019-Q4169,4642017
2019-Q3168,7502017
2019-Q2167,8122017
2019-Q1166,8972017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private ownership

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 122,098 · 2023
2017: 129,6542018: 128,0002019: 126,0422020: 124,2462021: 123,9352022: 123,7152023: 122,098
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023122,098
2022123,715
2021123,935
2020124,246
2019126,042
2018128,000
2017129,654

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $58.9 billion · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: $42.3 billion2019-Q2: $38.0 billion2019-Q3: $37.8 billion2019-Q4: $40.8 billion2020-Q1: $43.6 billion2020-Q2: $36.4 billion2020-Q3: $37.1 billion2020-Q4: $43.2 billion2021-Q1: $42.8 billion2021-Q2: $40.2 billion2021-Q3: $41.0 billion2021-Q4: $47.8 billion2022-Q1: $48.3 billion2022-Q2: $44.7 billion2022-Q3: $46.0 billion2022-Q4: $48.9 billion2023-Q1: $53.9 billion2023-Q2: $47.1 billion2023-Q3: $46.7 billion2023-Q4: $51.5 billion2024-Q1: $56.0 billion2024-Q2: $48.9 billion2024-Q3: $48.1 billion2024-Q4: $51.9 billion2025-Q1: $58.0 billion2025-Q2: $49.9 billion2025-Q3: $49.6 billion2025-Q4: $53.6 billion2026-Q1: $58.9 billionNAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1$58.9 billion2022
2025-Q4$53.6 billion2022
2025-Q3$49.6 billion2022
2025-Q2$49.9 billion2022
2025-Q1$58.0 billion2022
2024-Q4$51.9 billion2022
2024-Q3$48.1 billion2022
2024-Q2$48.9 billion2022
2024-Q1$56.0 billion2022
2023-Q4$51.5 billion2022
2023-Q3$46.7 billion2022
2023-Q2$47.1 billion2022
2023-Q1$53.9 billion2022
2022-Q4$48.9 billion2022
2022-Q3$46.0 billion2022
2022-Q2$44.7 billion2022
2022-Q1$48.3 billion2022
2021-Q4$47.8 billion2017
2021-Q3$41.0 billion2017
2021-Q2$40.2 billion2017
2021-Q1$42.8 billion2017
2020-Q4$43.2 billion2017
2020-Q3$37.1 billion2017
2020-Q2$36.4 billion2017
2020-Q1$43.6 billion2017
2019-Q4$40.8 billion2017
2019-Q3$37.8 billion2017
2019-Q2$38.0 billion2017
2019-Q1$42.3 billion2017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private ownership

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $202 billion · 2023
2017: $162 billion2018: $166 billion2019: $169 billion2020: $169 billion2021: $178 billion2022: $191 billion2023: $202 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$202 billion
2022$191 billion
2021$178 billion
2020$169 billion
2019$169 billion
2018$166 billion
2017$162 billion

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

The ledger

Every published measure

MeasureSourceLatestPeriodHistory
EmploymentPrivate-sector jobs in the third month of each quarterQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages2,153,1172026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages181,6642026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$58.9 billion2026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$202 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns2,358,64820232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns122,09820232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$186 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census2,341,92820222017–2022 · 2 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census121,21420222017–2022 · 2 published
FirmsEconomic Census90,57820222017–2022 · 2 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$6.17 trillion20222017–2022 · 2 published

Breakdown

Industries within Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
4241Paper and Paper Product Merchant Wholesalers$177 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census107,7782026-Q1 · QCEW
4242Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers$1.28 trillionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census261,1582026-Q1 · QCEW
4243Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers$183 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census131,8392026-Q1 · QCEW
4244Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers$1.30 trillionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census819,0222026-Q1 · QCEW
4245Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers$310 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census70,5872026-Q1 · QCEW
4246Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers$316 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census148,9022026-Q1 · QCEW
4247Petroleum and Petroleum Products Merchant Wholesalers$1.93 trillionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census98,9582026-Q1 · QCEW
4248Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers$208 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census202,2332026-Q1 · QCEW
4249Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers$460 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census312,6402026-Q1 · QCEW

Sources

Where every number comes from

Figures are in current dollars and are the agencies’ own, revised when they revise. Each program defines its universe differently (employer firms, private ownership, all establishments), so figures from different sources are not meant to add up. This page is not endorsed by the Census Bureau, BEA or BLS. The same data is in the Palanor API (/v1/industries) and the MCP (palanor_get_industry). All industries.