Industry Spotlight: Wholesale trade – durable goods

Merchant wholesalers in the durable goods subsector sell new and used items with a life expectancy of three years or more. Examples of durable goods include motor vehicles, furniture, machinery, metals and minerals, sporting goods, and toys. Employment in the wholesale trade – durable goods category exceeded 2.7 million workers in 2011, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Approximately 74,500 recordable injuries were reported, and the rate was 2.8 per 100 full-time workers, down from 3.1 in 2010 and 2009. The 2011 rate for injuries involving days away from work, job restriction or transfer was 1.5 per 100 full-time workers.