Contents
- What counts as an electronics repair business?
- Historical U.S. establishment counts
- Selected state counts, employment, and wages in 2002
- Employment and annual wages moved alongside establishment counts
- What the electronics repair business counts statistics can tell you
- Sources
What counts as an electronics repair business?
The phrase “electronics repair business” can cover many kinds of work. The figures here use a narrower definition: the U.S. industry classification NAICS 811211, consumer electronics repair and maintenance. The Census description includes establishments primarily repairing or maintaining televisions, stereos, speakers, video recorders, CD players, radios, and cameras. It excludes establishments that retail new consumer electronics.
That boundary matters. These counts do not represent every business that repairs electronics. For example, they should not be read as counts of computer repair shops, industrial electronics services, or all independent technicians. They are establishment counts for the specified consumer-electronics category. (Census Bureau, 1997 NAICS Sector 81)
Historical U.S. establishment counts
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported 3,217 average U.S. establishments in this industry in 2002. “Average establishments” is the measure used in the annual table; it is not a count of every business that operated at any point during the year.
Selected later annual averages show a lower count:
| Year | Average establishments | Change from prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 3,217 | — |
| 2004 | 2,770 | −197 from 2003 |
| 2008 | 2,293 | −82 from 2007 |
| 2009 | 2,227 | −66 from 2008 |
| 2010 | 2,154 | −73 from 2009 |
These are selected years, not a complete annual series. The reported 2004–2010 observations show consecutive declines for the three years from 2008 through 2010. Comparing 2002 with 2010, the average count was lower by 1,063 establishments, or about one-third. That comparison describes the published category at those two points; it does not identify why the count changed. (BLS, 2002 state and industry table; 2004 annual averages; 2008 annual averages; 2009 annual averages; 2010 annual averages)
Selected state counts, employment, and wages in 2002
In 2002, Florida had 352 average establishments and California had 344. The difference was eight establishments. These state figures are a snapshot for that year, not a current ranking or a measure of the number of repair businesses today.
The same BLS table reported 15,066 annual average employees nationwide. California had 1,717 and Florida had 2,158. These employment figures count jobs across establishments, not businesses or individual owners. The state examples also show why establishment counts alone do not describe industry size: Florida had slightly more establishments than California, while its reported employment was also higher.
| Geography, 2002 | Average establishments | Annual average employment | Total annual wages (reported in thousands) |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 3,217 | 15,066 | $432,011 |
| California | 344 | 1,717 | $50,196 |
| Florida | 352 | 2,158 | $46,537 |
The wage figures are aggregate annual wages, and the source reports them in thousands of dollars. Thus, $432,011 thousand corresponds to $432.011 million in reported annual wages. The table does not provide a measure of business revenue, profit, owner income, or customer spending. (BLS, 2002 state and industry table)
Employment and annual wages moved alongside establishment counts
The 2004, 2008, 2009, and 2010 annual-average tables report establishment counts, annual average employment, and total annual wages. The figures show that changes in the number of establishments did not fully describe changes in the workforce or payroll.
| Year | Average establishments | Annual average employment | Total annual wages (thousands of dollars) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 2,770 | 13,484 | $427,914 |
| 2008 | 2,293 | 13,111 | $478,845 |
| 2009 | 2,227 | 12,062 | $457,362 |
| 2010 | 2,154 | 10,990 | $425,751 |
Between 2008 and 2010, the average establishment count fell by 139, while annual average employment fell by 2,121. Total annual wages fell by $53.094 million, based on the source’s reported values in thousands. In 2008, wages were up $561 thousand from 2007 even as establishments and employment were down; in 2009 and 2010, the tables report declines in all three measures. These are nominal annual wage totals, not inflation-adjusted compensation or wages per worker. The source figures alone do not establish a cause for any change. (BLS, 2004 annual averages; 2008 annual averages; 2009 annual averages; 2010 annual averages)
What the electronics repair business counts statistics can tell you
These historical statistics are useful for grounding discussion in a defined industry, but they answer a specific question: how many establishments, jobs, and aggregate wages were reported for NAICS 811211 in the cited years? They do not provide a current count, a forecast, or a census of every kind of electronics repair operation.
The selected observations indicate that the U.S. average establishment count was lower in 2010 than in 2002, and that establishments, employment, and total annual wages all declined in each reported year from 2008 through 2010. State figures from 2002 offer a limited comparison between California and Florida, but they should not be extended into a national state ranking for other years. Keep the classification, measurement year, and distinction between establishments and employment attached to any use of these figures.
Sources
- 1997 NAICS Sector 81
- Table 10. Private industry by State and 6-digit NAICS industry: Establishments, employment, and wages, 2002 annual averages
- Table 2. Private industry by six-digit NAICS industry and government by level of government, 2004 annual averages: Establishments, employment, and wages, change from 2003
- Table 2. Private industry by six-digit NAICS industry and government by level of government, 2008 annual averages: Establishments, employment, and wages, change from 2007
- Table 2. Private industry by six-digit NAICS industry and government by level of government, 2009 annual averages: Establishments, employment, and wages, change from 2008
- Table 2. Private industry by six-digit NAICS industry and government by level of government, 2010 annual averages: Establishments, employment, and wages, change from 2009