Employment in U.S. wholesale trade — the sector that includes most distributors — remained unchanged early in 2026, even as the broader labor market weakened and the economy lost jobs in February.
Total U.S. payroll employment fell by 92,000 jobs in February, reversing January’s gain of 126,000 jobs and marking one of the weakest monthly performances in recent months, according to the latest employment report released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Despite the overall decline, employment in wholesale trade showed little change during the month, the agency said.
Federal employment data indicate the wholesale trade sector employed about 6.05 million workers in February 2026, compared with 6.08 million in February 2025. That represents a year-over-year decline of about 30,000 jobs, or 0.5%.
Wholesale trade includes a wide range of companies involved in distributing goods from manufacturers to businesses and retailers. The largest portion of the sector consists of merchant wholesalers, the category that most closely aligns with what the industry typically refers to as distributors. These businesses supply products such as industrial equipment, construction materials, electrical supplies, machinery and heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning equipment.
So far in 2026, employment levels across wholesale trade have remained unchanged.
The sector saw little to no job growth in both January and February, suggesting distributors are maintaining staffing levels rather than expanding payrolls as economic uncertainty persists in many industrial and construction markets.
The broader U.S. labor market, meanwhile, has begun to show signs of slowing. February’s decline in total payrolls pushed the unemployment rate to 4.4%, reflecting a modest weakening in hiring momentum across several sectors.
Supply-chain-related industries have experienced more pronounced changes. Employment in transportation and warehousing has fallen by about 157,000 jobs over the past year, according to BLS data, as freight, logistics and parcel delivery companies adjust staffing levels following rapid hiring earlier in the decade.
For wholesale distributors, the flat employment trend suggests companies are shifting their focus toward operational efficiency and productivity rather than workforce expansion.
Wholesale trade remains a significant employer in the U.S. economy, with more than 6 million workers across durable-goods and nondurable-goods wholesale industries. But the latest data indicate hiring in the sector has entered a period of stability rather than growth as companies navigate slower demand and broader economic uncertainty.
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