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Size of the US Direct Selling Establishments industry

NAICS 4543, Direct Selling Establishments. 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. This is a NAICS 2017 code that the 2022 edition replaced; the Census surveys that still publish on the 2017 basis keep it alive.

Key figures

Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)
$56.2 billion
2017 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Sales
$71.5 billion
2022 · Annual Retail Trade Survey
Employer firms by kind of business, current dollars
Employment
186,445
2023 · County Business Patterns
Paid employees in the pay period including March 12
Establishments
29,791
2023 · County Business Patterns
Firms
26,915
2017 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$10.1 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

How it has changed

Sales · Annual Retail Trade SurveyLatest $71.5 billion · 2022
1992: $25.9 billion1993: $27.7 billion1994: $31.1 billion1995: $32.8 billion1996: $37.4 billion1997: $36.2 billion1998: $33.7 billion1999: $36.6 billion2000: $45.2 billion2001: $45.1 billion2002: $45.1 billion2003: $49.9 billion2004: $51.8 billion2005: $56.7 billion2006: $58.7 billion2007: $61.9 billion2008: $67.5 billion2009: $54.9 billion2010: $56.7 billion2011: $60.2 billion2012: $57.0 billion2013: $61.1 billion2014: $63.8 billion2015: $55.0 billion2016: $51.3 billion2017: $56.2 billion2018: $61.5 billion2019: $58.9 billion2020: $53.1 billion2021: $61.1 billion2022: $71.5 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2022$71.5 billion
2021$61.1 billion
2020$53.1 billion
2019$58.9 billion
2018$61.5 billion
2017$56.2 billion
2016$51.3 billion
2015$55.0 billion
2014$63.8 billion
2013$61.1 billion
2012$57.0 billion
2011$60.2 billion
2010$56.7 billion
2009$54.9 billion
2008$67.5 billion
2007$61.9 billion
2006$58.7 billion
2005$56.7 billion
2004$51.8 billion
2003$49.9 billion
2002$45.1 billion
2001$45.1 billion
2000$45.2 billion
1999$36.6 billion
1998$33.7 billion
1997$36.2 billion
1996$37.4 billion
1995$32.8 billion
1994$31.1 billion
1993$27.7 billion
1992$25.9 billion

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Retail Trade Survey · Employer firms by kind of business, current dollars · Agency label: Direct selling establishments

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 142,395 · 2021-Q4
2019-Q1: 135,2732019-Q2: 133,8392019-Q3: 133,4962019-Q4: 141,2912020-Q1: 133,7932020-Q2: 127,0272020-Q3: 127,7992020-Q4: 136,1842021-Q1: 133,4222021-Q2: 133,1472021-Q3: 134,1572021-Q4: 142,395
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2021-Q4142,395
2021-Q3134,157
2021-Q2133,147
2021-Q1133,422
2020-Q4136,184
2020-Q3127,799
2020-Q2127,027
2020-Q1133,793
2019-Q4141,291
2019-Q3133,496
2019-Q2133,839
2019-Q1135,273

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 186,445 · 2023
2017: 186,5152018: 181,0162019: 181,1472020: 176,2582021: 174,6992022: 194,1052023: 186,445
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023186,445
2022194,105
2021174,699
2020176,258
2019181,147
2018181,016
2017186,515

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

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 21,429 · 2021-Q4
2019-Q1: 19,3852019-Q2: 19,4272019-Q3: 19,6442019-Q4: 20,1272020-Q1: 19,7772020-Q2: 19,7352020-Q3: 20,2152020-Q4: 20,6952021-Q1: 20,4642021-Q2: 20,8802021-Q3: 21,1852021-Q4: 21,429
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2021-Q421,429
2021-Q321,185
2021-Q220,880
2021-Q120,464
2020-Q420,695
2020-Q320,215
2020-Q219,735
2020-Q119,777
2019-Q420,127
2019-Q319,644
2019-Q219,427
2019-Q119,385

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

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 29,791 · 2023
2017: 32,3792018: 31,7482019: 31,3912020: 31,4692021: 31,8272022: 32,1152023: 29,791
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
202329,791
202232,115
202131,827
202031,469
201931,391
201831,748
201732,379

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

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $2.4 billion · 2021-Q4
2019-Q1: $1.9 billion2019-Q2: $1.8 billion2019-Q3: $1.8 billion2019-Q4: $2.1 billion2020-Q1: $1.9 billion2020-Q2: $1.8 billion2020-Q3: $1.8 billion2020-Q4: $2.2 billion2021-Q1: $2.0 billion2021-Q2: $2.0 billion2021-Q3: $2.0 billion2021-Q4: $2.4 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2021-Q4$2.4 billion
2021-Q3$2.0 billion
2021-Q2$2.0 billion
2021-Q1$2.0 billion
2020-Q4$2.2 billion
2020-Q3$1.8 billion
2020-Q2$1.8 billion
2020-Q1$1.9 billion
2019-Q4$2.1 billion
2019-Q3$1.8 billion
2019-Q2$1.8 billion
2019-Q1$1.9 billion

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

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $10.1 billion · 2023
2017: $7.9 billion2018: $8.0 billion2019: $8.3 billion2020: $8.4 billion2021: $8.9 billion2022: $10.1 billion2023: $10.1 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$10.1 billion
2022$10.1 billion
2021$8.9 billion
2020$8.4 billion
2019$8.3 billion
2018$8.0 billion
2017$7.9 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 Wages142,3952021-Q42019-Q1–2021-Q4 · 12 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages21,4292021-Q42019-Q1–2021-Q4 · 12 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$2.4 billion2021-Q42019-Q1–2021-Q4 · 12 published
SalesEmployer firms by kind of business, current dollarsAnnual Retail Trade Survey$71.5 billion20221992–2022 · 31 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$10.1 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns186,44520232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns29,79120232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$7.6 billion20172017–2017 · 1 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census184,65620172017–2017 · 1 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census32,06120172017–2017 · 1 published
FirmsEconomic Census26,91520172017–2017 · 1 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$56.2 billion20172017–2017 · 1 published

Breakdown

Industries within Direct Selling Establishments

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
45431Fuel Dealers$31.1 billionReceipts · 2017 · Economic Census71,7902023 · CBP
45439Other Direct Selling Establishments$25.1 billionReceipts · 2017 · Economic Census114,6552023 · CBP

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.