Size of the US General Merchandise Retailers industry
NAICS 455, General Merchandise Retailers. 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)
- $1.29 trillion
- 2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars - Employment
- 3,179,182
- 2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Over time
How it has changed
Show the numbers
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 2026-Q1 | 3,179,182 |
| 2025-Q4 | 3,404,982 |
| 2025-Q3 | 3,195,063 |
| 2025-Q2 | 3,178,290 |
| 2025-Q1 | 3,192,278 |
| 2024-Q4 | 3,448,855 |
| 2024-Q3 | 3,229,332 |
| 2024-Q2 | 3,223,643 |
| 2024-Q1 | 3,204,346 |
| 2023-Q4 | 3,422,244 |
| 2023-Q3 | 3,183,686 |
| 2023-Q2 | 3,174,646 |
| 2023-Q1 | 3,147,079 |
| 2022-Q4 | 3,400,985 |
| 2022-Q3 | 3,118,264 |
| 2022-Q2 | 3,115,018 |
| 2022-Q1 | 3,145,828 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Show the numbers
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 2026-Q1 | 83,189 |
| 2025-Q4 | 83,296 |
| 2025-Q3 | 82,499 |
| 2025-Q2 | 82,107 |
| 2025-Q1 | 82,984 |
| 2024-Q4 | 83,005 |
| 2024-Q3 | 83,058 |
| 2024-Q2 | 83,167 |
| 2024-Q1 | 82,336 |
| 2023-Q4 | 81,445 |
| 2023-Q3 | 80,395 |
| 2023-Q2 | 79,424 |
| 2023-Q1 | 78,657 |
| 2022-Q4 | 77,862 |
| 2022-Q3 | 76,821 |
| 2022-Q2 | 75,542 |
| 2022-Q1 | 74,809 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private ownership
Show the numbers
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 2026-Q1 | $28.3 billion |
| 2025-Q4 | $29.8 billion |
| 2025-Q3 | $27.4 billion |
| 2025-Q2 | $25.9 billion |
| 2025-Q1 | $29.5 billion |
| 2024-Q4 | $27.7 billion |
| 2024-Q3 | $26.8 billion |
| 2024-Q2 | $25.6 billion |
| 2024-Q1 | $28.3 billion |
| 2023-Q4 | $26.3 billion |
| 2023-Q3 | $25.8 billion |
| 2023-Q2 | $23.6 billion |
| 2023-Q1 | $27.7 billion |
| 2022-Q4 | $24.9 billion |
| 2022-Q3 | $25.8 billion |
| 2022-Q2 | $23.4 billion |
| 2022-Q1 | $26.2 billion |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private ownership
The ledger
Every published measure
| Measure | Source | Latest | Period | History |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EmploymentPrivate-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter | Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages | 3,179,182 | 2026-Q1 | 2022-Q1–2026-Q1 · 17 published |
| EstablishmentsPrivate ownership | Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages | 83,189 | 2026-Q1 | 2022-Q1–2026-Q1 · 17 published |
| Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownership | Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages | $28.3 billion | 2026-Q1 | 2022-Q1–2026-Q1 · 17 published |
| Annual payroll | Economic Census | $127 billion | 2022 | 2022–2022 · 1 published |
| EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12 | Economic Census | 3,975,757 | 2022 | 2022–2022 · 1 published |
| Establishments | Economic Census | 62,446 | 2022 | 2022–2022 · 1 published |
| Firms | Economic Census | 11,060 | 2022 | 2022–2022 · 1 published |
| Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollars | Economic Census | $1.29 trillion | 2022 | 2022–2022 · 1 published |
Breakdown
Industries within General Merchandise Retailers
| NAICS | Industry | Size | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4551 | Department Stores | $60.7 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census | 893,6292026-Q1 · QCEW |
| 4552 | Warehouse Clubs, Supercenters, and Other General Merchandise Retailers | $1.23 trillionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census | 2,285,5532026-Q1 · QCEW |
Sources
Where every number comes from
- Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work). Terms.
- Economic Census, U.S. Census Bureau. Every five years (2017, 2022). Public domain (U.S. Government work). Terms.
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.