ABSTRACT
The wholesale trade (42) sector comprises establishments engaged in wholesaling merchandise, generally without transformation, and rendering services incidental to the sale of merchandise. The wholesaling process is an intermediate step in the distribution of merchandise. Wholesalers are organized to sell or arrange the purchase or sale of (1) goods for resale (i.e., goods sold to other wholesalers or retailers), (2) capital or durable nonconsumer goods, and (3) raw and intermediate materials and supplies used in production. Wholesalers sell merchandise to other businesses and normally operate from a warehouse or office. BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) data show that wholesale and retail trades make up a large part of the nation’s employment and business establishments. In the economy as a whole, wholesale trade represents about 4.4% of all employment and 7.1% of all establishments. BLS estimates show that wholesale trade employment averaged 5,749,500 during 2005.
