Retail Trade Employment

NAICS 44 • BLS Current Employment Statistics (CES)

The Retail Trade industry employed 15,427.9K workers as of Mar 2026 (seasonally adjusted), a change of -29.6K over 12 months. Source: BLS CES.

Monthly Employment (thousands, SA) — last 5 years

Show full history (1939–present, 1,047 months)
Monthly seasonally-adjusted employment (thousands) for Retail Trade with month-over-month change, BLS CES.
Date Employment (K) MoM Change
Mar 2026 15,427.9 +9.7
Feb 2026 15,418.2 -8
Jan 2026 15,426.2 +12.7
Dec 2025 15,413.5 -23.6
Nov 2025 15,437.1 -0.9
Oct 2025 15,438.0 -15.4
Sep 2025 15,453.4 +13.1
Aug 2025 15,440.3 +10.1
Jul 2025 15,430.2 +4.7
Jun 2025 15,425.5 -14.5
May 2025 15,440.0 -21.6
Apr 2025 15,461.6 +4.1
Mar 2025 15,457.5 +15.7
Feb 2025 15,441.8 -17.5
Jan 2025 15,459.3 -0.8
Dec 2024 15,460.1 +50.3
Nov 2024 15,409.8 -42.6
Oct 2024 15,452.4 -4.3
Sep 2024 15,456.7 -1.7
Aug 2024 15,458.4 -22.4
Jul 2024 15,480.8 -19.1
Jun 2024 15,499.9 -36.1
May 2024 15,536.0 +4.8
Apr 2024 15,531.2 +1.9
Mar 2024 15,529.3 +0.8
Feb 2024 15,528.5 +4.5
Jan 2024 15,524.0 -26.9
Dec 2023 15,550.9 +39.6
Nov 2023 15,511.3 -32.6
Oct 2023 15,543.9 +12.6
Sep 2023 15,531.3 +0.1
Aug 2023 15,531.2 -8.3
Jul 2023 15,539.5 +6.3
Jun 2023 15,533.2 -22.7
May 2023 15,555.9 -0.1
Apr 2023 15,556.0 -6.8
Mar 2023 15,562.8 -39.8
Feb 2023 15,602.6 +51.3
Jan 2023 15,551.3 +17.4
Dec 2022 15,533.9 +3.7
Nov 2022 15,530.2 +18.2
Oct 2022 15,512.0 +13.8
Sep 2022 15,498.2 -23.6
Aug 2022 15,521.8 +31.2
Jul 2022 15,490.6 +26
Jun 2022 15,464.6 +45.9
May 2022 15,418.7 -69.3
Apr 2022 15,488.0 -49.1
Mar 2022 15,537.1 -0.3
Feb 2022 15,537.4 +108.8
Jan 2022 15,428.6 +6.9
Dec 2021 15,421.7 +14.7
Nov 2021 15,407.0 +58.9
Oct 2021 15,348.1 +68
Sep 2021 15,280.1 +64.1
Aug 2021 15,216.0 -22.2
Jul 2021 15,238.2 -6.6
Jun 2021 15,244.8 +53.3
May 2021 15,191.5 +2.1
Apr 2021 15,189.4