Skip to content
PalanorPalanor

Size of the US Paper and Paper Product Merchant Wholesalers industry

NAICS 4241, Paper and Paper Product 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)
$177 billion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
107,778
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
9,322
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
6,108
2022 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$9.9 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 107,778 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 128,8732019-Q2: 129,1962019-Q3: 127,5702019-Q4: 128,0302020-Q1: 126,4192020-Q2: 116,4932020-Q3: 117,1102020-Q4: 118,8942021-Q1: 115,4392021-Q2: 115,9002021-Q3: 115,6352021-Q4: 117,9792022-Q1: 116,8402022-Q2: 117,8442022-Q3: 117,9672022-Q4: 118,9022023-Q1: 116,7532023-Q2: 117,7672023-Q3: 116,4372023-Q4: 116,8102024-Q1: 114,4862024-Q2: 115,3782024-Q3: 114,5622024-Q4: 114,5512025-Q1: 112,9822025-Q2: 113,2302025-Q3: 111,7652025-Q4: 111,6522026-Q1: 107,778NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1107,7782022
2025-Q4111,6522022
2025-Q3111,7652022
2025-Q2113,2302022
2025-Q1112,9822022
2024-Q4114,5512022
2024-Q3114,5622022
2024-Q2115,3782022
2024-Q1114,4862022
2023-Q4116,8102022
2023-Q3116,4372022
2023-Q2117,7672022
2023-Q1116,7532022
2022-Q4118,9022022
2022-Q3117,9672022
2022-Q2117,8442022
2022-Q1116,8402022
2021-Q4117,9792017
2021-Q3115,6352017
2021-Q2115,9002017
2021-Q1115,4392017
2020-Q4118,8942017
2020-Q3117,1102017
2020-Q2116,4932017
2020-Q1126,4192017
2019-Q4128,0302017
2019-Q3127,5702017
2019-Q2129,1962017
2019-Q1128,8732017

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 128,040 · 2023
2017: 148,0572018: 150,2772019: 147,1592020: 143,6582021: 133,0742022: 130,9732023: 128,040
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023128,040
2022130,973
2021133,074
2020143,658
2019147,159
2018150,277
2017148,057

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

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 9,322 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 10,6382019-Q2: 10,6292019-Q3: 10,5932019-Q4: 10,5722020-Q1: 10,3972020-Q2: 10,3622020-Q3: 10,3622020-Q4: 10,3962021-Q1: 10,1742021-Q2: 10,1582021-Q3: 10,1762021-Q4: 10,1952022-Q1: 10,0252022-Q2: 9,9742022-Q3: 9,9852022-Q4: 10,0032023-Q1: 9,8222023-Q2: 9,7572023-Q3: 9,7902023-Q4: 9,8162024-Q1: 9,6012024-Q2: 9,5892024-Q3: 9,5942024-Q4: 9,6092025-Q1: 9,4282025-Q2: 9,4092025-Q3: 9,4012025-Q4: 9,3922026-Q1: 9,322NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q19,3222022
2025-Q49,3922022
2025-Q39,4012022
2025-Q29,4092022
2025-Q19,4282022
2024-Q49,6092022
2024-Q39,5942022
2024-Q29,5892022
2024-Q19,6012022
2023-Q49,8162022
2023-Q39,7902022
2023-Q29,7572022
2023-Q19,8222022
2022-Q410,0032022
2022-Q39,9852022
2022-Q29,9742022
2022-Q110,0252022
2021-Q410,1952017
2021-Q310,1762017
2021-Q210,1582017
2021-Q110,1742017
2020-Q410,3962017
2020-Q310,3622017
2020-Q210,3622017
2020-Q110,3972017
2019-Q410,5722017
2019-Q310,5932017
2019-Q210,6292017
2019-Q110,6382017

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

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 7,603 · 2023
2017: 9,7702018: 9,2712019: 8,8902020: 8,5882021: 8,2402022: 7,8492023: 7,603
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
20237,603
20227,849
20218,240
20208,588
20198,890
20189,271
20179,770

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

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $2.6 billion · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: $2.4 billion2019-Q2: $2.1 billion2019-Q3: $2.1 billion2019-Q4: $2.3 billion2020-Q1: $2.3 billion2020-Q2: $1.9 billion2020-Q3: $2.0 billion2020-Q4: $2.4 billion2021-Q1: $2.2 billion2021-Q2: $2.1 billion2021-Q3: $2.1 billion2021-Q4: $2.6 billion2022-Q1: $2.5 billion2022-Q2: $2.4 billion2022-Q3: $2.4 billion2022-Q4: $2.7 billion2023-Q1: $2.8 billion2023-Q2: $2.4 billion2023-Q3: $2.3 billion2023-Q4: $2.6 billion2024-Q1: $2.6 billion2024-Q2: $2.5 billion2024-Q3: $2.4 billion2024-Q4: $2.6 billion2025-Q1: $2.7 billion2025-Q2: $2.4 billion2025-Q3: $2.4 billion2025-Q4: $2.6 billion2026-Q1: $2.6 billionNAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1$2.6 billion2022
2025-Q4$2.6 billion2022
2025-Q3$2.4 billion2022
2025-Q2$2.4 billion2022
2025-Q1$2.7 billion2022
2024-Q4$2.6 billion2022
2024-Q3$2.4 billion2022
2024-Q2$2.5 billion2022
2024-Q1$2.6 billion2022
2023-Q4$2.6 billion2022
2023-Q3$2.3 billion2022
2023-Q2$2.4 billion2022
2023-Q1$2.8 billion2022
2022-Q4$2.7 billion2022
2022-Q3$2.4 billion2022
2022-Q2$2.4 billion2022
2022-Q1$2.5 billion2022
2021-Q4$2.6 billion2017
2021-Q3$2.1 billion2017
2021-Q2$2.1 billion2017
2021-Q1$2.2 billion2017
2020-Q4$2.4 billion2017
2020-Q3$2.0 billion2017
2020-Q2$1.9 billion2017
2020-Q1$2.3 billion2017
2019-Q4$2.3 billion2017
2019-Q3$2.1 billion2017
2019-Q2$2.1 billion2017
2019-Q1$2.4 billion2017

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

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $9.9 billion · 2023
2017: $9.1 billion2018: $9.2 billion2019: $9.0 billion2020: $8.8 billion2021: $9.0 billion2022: $9.7 billion2023: $9.9 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$9.9 billion
2022$9.7 billion
2021$9.0 billion
2020$8.8 billion
2019$9.0 billion
2018$9.2 billion
2017$9.1 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 Wages107,7782026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages9,3222026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$2.6 billion2026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$9.9 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns128,04020232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns7,60320232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$9.3 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census130,30920222017–2022 · 2 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census7,98520222017–2022 · 2 published
FirmsEconomic Census6,10820222017–2022 · 2 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$177 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published

Breakdown

Industries within Paper and Paper Product Merchant Wholesalers

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
42411Printing and Writing Paper Merchant Wholesalers$18.5 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census10,6242026-Q1 · QCEW
42412Stationery and Office Supplies Merchant Wholesalers$36.2 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census34,5602026-Q1 · QCEW
42413Industrial and Personal Service Paper Merchant Wholesalers$122 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census62,5942026-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.