Wholesale and Retail Trade (WRT) Statistics

At a glance

  • View hearing loss statistics among wholesale and retail trade (WRT) workers.
  • Approximately 12% of all Wholesale Trade workers and 12% of all Retail Trade workers have hearing difficulty.
  • About 6% of all Wholesale Trade workers and 7% of all Retail Trade workers have tinnitus.
  • 51% of noise-exposed Wholesale Trade workers and 74% of noise-exposed Retail Trade workers report not wearing hearing protection.
African American retail worker.

Noise, ototoxic chemicals, and hearing protection

  • About 19% of all workers in Wholesale Trade and 11% of all workers in Retail Trade have been exposed to hazardous noise in the last year.1
  • Approximately 20% of all workers in Wholesale Trade and 10% of all workers in Retail Trade have been exposed to ototoxic chemicals in the last year.1 These chemicals can cause damage to different parts of the ear.
  • About 8% of all workers in Wholesale Trade and 5% of all workers in Retail Trade have been exposed to both hazardous noise and ototoxic chemicals in the last year.1
  • 51% of noise-exposed Wholesale Trade workers and 74% of noise-exposed Retail Trade workers report not wearing hearing protection.2

Hearing loss and tinnitus

  • Approximately 12% of all Wholesale Trade workers and 12% of all Retail Trade workers have hearing difficulty.1
  • About 6% of all Wholesale Trade workers and 7% of all Retail Trade workers have tinnitus, which is an annoying buzzing, rushing, or ringing noise in your ears or in your head.3
  • About 20% of noise-exposed tested WRT workers have a material hearing impairment.4 Hearing impairment is hearing loss that impacts day-to-day activities. Material hearing impairment is hearing loss severe enough that a person has difficulty understanding speech.
  • 13% of noise-exposed tested WRT workers have hearing impairment in both ears.5

Trends

Trends among noise-exposed tested WRT workers (1980-2010)4

  • The prevalence for WRT decreased less than 1% over 30 years (1981-2010) as compared with a less than 1% reduction for all industries.
  • The incidence for WRT decreased 3% over 25 years (1986-2010) as compared with a 2% reduction for all industries.
  • The adjusted risk for WRT decreased 55% over 25 years (1986-2010) as compared with a 46% reduction for all industries.
View Larger
Graph showing prevalence of hearing loss by time period and industry sector, 1981-2010, for 1,816,812 workers
Adapted from Figure 1, Masterson et al. 2015
View Larger
Graph showing incidence of hearing loss by time period and industry sector, 1986-2010, for 560,320 workers
Adapted from Figure 2, Masterson et al. 2015
View Larger
Graph showing risk of incident hearing loss compared to the 1986-1990 time period, by industry sector, for 560,320 workers
Adapted from Figure 3, Masterson et al. 2015

Return to occupational hearing loss statistics‎

Go back to select another industry.
Print
Content Source:
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
  1. Masterson EA, Morata TC, Themann CL [2025]. Prevalence of ototoxic chemical exposure, noise exposure and hearing difficulty among workers in the United States, 2023. J Occup Environ Med, 67(10):785-797.
  2. Green DR, Masterson EA, Themann CL [2021]. Prevalence of hearing protection device non-use among noise-exposed U.S. workers in 2007 and 2014. Am J Ind Med, 64(12):1002-1017.
  3. Masterson EA, Themann CL, Luckhaupt SE, Li J, Calvert GM [2016]. Hearing difficulty and tinnitus among U.S. workers and non-workers in 2007. Am J Ind Med, 59:290-300.
  4. Masterson EA, Deddens JA, Themann CL, Bertke S, Calvert GM [2015]. Trends in worker hearing loss by industry sector, 1981-2010. Am J Ind Med, 58:392-401.
  5. Masterson EA, Bushnell PT, Themann CL, Morata TC [2016]. Hearing impairment among noise-exposed workers — United States, 2003–2012. MMWR, 65(15):389-394.