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Size of the US Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers industry

NAICS 4243, Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers. 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)
$183 billion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
131,839
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
16,603
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
12,591
2022 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$13.0 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 131,839 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 152,5212019-Q2: 151,9252019-Q3: 150,5982019-Q4: 152,6982020-Q1: 147,8602020-Q2: 120,0252020-Q3: 127,1132020-Q4: 133,8632021-Q1: 131,5272021-Q2: 134,5102021-Q3: 136,7822021-Q4: 142,8932022-Q1: 142,4772022-Q2: 143,6662022-Q3: 144,9532022-Q4: 147,6022023-Q1: 144,7402023-Q2: 145,8132023-Q3: 145,1692023-Q4: 146,5422024-Q1: 140,7132024-Q2: 140,7292024-Q3: 138,5582024-Q4: 139,4732025-Q1: 136,7972025-Q2: 135,4982025-Q3: 134,0742025-Q4: 135,7582026-Q1: 131,839NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1131,8392022
2025-Q4135,7582022
2025-Q3134,0742022
2025-Q2135,4982022
2025-Q1136,7972022
2024-Q4139,4732022
2024-Q3138,5582022
2024-Q2140,7292022
2024-Q1140,7132022
2023-Q4146,5422022
2023-Q3145,1692022
2023-Q2145,8132022
2023-Q1144,7402022
2022-Q4147,6022022
2022-Q3144,9532022
2022-Q2143,6662022
2022-Q1142,4772022
2021-Q4142,8932017
2021-Q3136,7822017
2021-Q2134,5102017
2021-Q1131,5272017
2020-Q4133,8632017
2020-Q3127,1132017
2020-Q2120,0252017
2020-Q1147,8602017
2019-Q4152,6982017
2019-Q3150,5982017
2019-Q2151,9252017
2019-Q1152,5212017

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 172,343 · 2023
2017: 200,9432018: 197,1002019: 192,9242020: 183,0832021: 164,2502022: 172,5792023: 172,343
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023172,343
2022172,579
2021164,250
2020183,083
2019192,924
2018197,100
2017200,943

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

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 16,603 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 15,5522019-Q2: 15,6132019-Q3: 15,6892019-Q4: 15,7412020-Q1: 15,6282020-Q2: 15,5522020-Q3: 15,6492020-Q4: 15,7372021-Q1: 15,5842021-Q2: 15,6752021-Q3: 15,8222021-Q4: 16,0322022-Q1: 16,2272022-Q2: 16,3312022-Q3: 16,4692022-Q4: 16,5782023-Q1: 16,6422023-Q2: 16,6572023-Q3: 16,7342023-Q4: 16,8112024-Q1: 16,5462024-Q2: 16,6602024-Q3: 16,6952024-Q4: 16,7132025-Q1: 16,4932025-Q2: 16,5592025-Q3: 16,6712025-Q4: 16,7052026-Q1: 16,603NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q116,6032022
2025-Q416,7052022
2025-Q316,6712022
2025-Q216,5592022
2025-Q116,4932022
2024-Q416,7132022
2024-Q316,6952022
2024-Q216,6602022
2024-Q116,5462022
2023-Q416,8112022
2023-Q316,7342022
2023-Q216,6572022
2023-Q116,6422022
2022-Q416,5782022
2022-Q316,4692022
2022-Q216,3312022
2022-Q116,2272022
2021-Q416,0322017
2021-Q315,8222017
2021-Q215,6752017
2021-Q115,5842017
2020-Q415,7372017
2020-Q315,6492017
2020-Q215,5522017
2020-Q115,6282017
2019-Q415,7412017
2019-Q315,6892017
2019-Q215,6132017
2019-Q115,5522017

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

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 13,318 · 2023
2017: 15,5632018: 14,9652019: 14,5162020: 13,9882021: 13,7762022: 13,6632023: 13,318
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
202313,318
202213,663
202113,776
202013,988
201914,516
201814,965
201715,563

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

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $3.1 billion · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: $2.7 billion2019-Q2: $2.7 billion2019-Q3: $2.6 billion2019-Q4: $2.9 billion2020-Q1: $2.8 billion2020-Q2: $2.0 billion2020-Q3: $2.2 billion2020-Q4: $2.8 billion2021-Q1: $2.7 billion2021-Q2: $2.6 billion2021-Q3: $2.6 billion2021-Q4: $3.3 billion2022-Q1: $2.9 billion2022-Q2: $3.0 billion2022-Q3: $2.9 billion2022-Q4: $3.2 billion2023-Q1: $3.1 billion2023-Q2: $3.0 billion2023-Q3: $2.9 billion2023-Q4: $3.3 billion2024-Q1: $3.1 billion2024-Q2: $3.0 billion2024-Q3: $2.8 billion2024-Q4: $3.2 billion2025-Q1: $3.1 billion2025-Q2: $3.0 billion2025-Q3: $2.9 billion2025-Q4: $3.3 billion2026-Q1: $3.1 billionNAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1$3.1 billion2022
2025-Q4$3.3 billion2022
2025-Q3$2.9 billion2022
2025-Q2$3.0 billion2022
2025-Q1$3.1 billion2022
2024-Q4$3.2 billion2022
2024-Q3$2.8 billion2022
2024-Q2$3.0 billion2022
2024-Q1$3.1 billion2022
2023-Q4$3.3 billion2022
2023-Q3$2.9 billion2022
2023-Q2$3.0 billion2022
2023-Q1$3.1 billion2022
2022-Q4$3.2 billion2022
2022-Q3$2.9 billion2022
2022-Q2$3.0 billion2022
2022-Q1$2.9 billion2022
2021-Q4$3.3 billion2017
2021-Q3$2.6 billion2017
2021-Q2$2.6 billion2017
2021-Q1$2.7 billion2017
2020-Q4$2.8 billion2017
2020-Q3$2.2 billion2017
2020-Q2$2.0 billion2017
2020-Q1$2.8 billion2017
2019-Q4$2.9 billion2017
2019-Q3$2.6 billion2017
2019-Q2$2.7 billion2017
2019-Q1$2.7 billion2017

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

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $13.0 billion · 2023
2017: $13.0 billion2018: $12.7 billion2019: $12.5 billion2020: $10.9 billion2021: $12.2 billion2022: $13.0 billion2023: $13.0 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$13.0 billion
2022$13.0 billion
2021$12.2 billion
2020$10.9 billion
2019$12.5 billion
2018$12.7 billion
2017$13.0 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 Wages131,8392026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages16,6032026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$3.1 billion2026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$13.0 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns172,34320232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns13,31820232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$13.0 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census180,21520222017–2022 · 2 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census13,35020222017–2022 · 2 published
FirmsEconomic Census12,59120222017–2022 · 2 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$183 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published

Breakdown

Industries within Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
42431Piece Goods, Notions, and Other Dry Goods Merchant Wholesalers$14.1 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census20,2172026-Q1 · QCEW
42432Men's and Boys' Clothing and Furnishings Merchant Wholesalers$54.4 billionReceipts · 2017 · Economic Census48,6232023 · CBP
42433Women's, Children's, and Infants' Clothing and Accessories Merchant Wholesalers$66.7 billionReceipts · 2017 · Economic Census74,3902023 · CBP
42434Footwear Merchant Wholesalers$43.5 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census21,1432026-Q1 · QCEW
42435Clothing and Clothing Accessories Merchant Wholesalers$125 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census90,4792026-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.