US Administrative and Waste Management Services Sector
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 455,718 establishments in the administrative and waste management services sector are comprised of industries that provide routine support to other organizations. The sector includes firms that provide employment services, investigative and security services, travel arrangements and reservations, waste management and remediation, services to buildings and dwellings, and business, office, and administrative support services. Firms typically operate as third-party contractors and may serve a variety of industries or individual households.
Client Industries Vulnerable to Economic Change
Demand for administrative support and waste management services is driven by the financial performance of customer industries, which can be vulnerable to downturns in the economy.
Solid Waste Tonnage and Recycling Rates Rise over Time
Waste generation has risen fairly steadily over time, and recycling and composting rates have increased as well.
Industry size & Structure
The administrative and waste management services sector is comprised of 455,718 establishments that employ 9.4 million workers and generate $1.47 trillion in annual revenue, according to government sources.
- The administrative and waste management services sector represents 3.1% of the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs 6.1% of the country's workers.
- The sector is fragmented with the 20 largest firms representing 20.8% of revenue.
- In addition to employer establishments, the administrative and waste management services sector has 2.6 million owner-operated establishments with no employees. Subsectors with the highest numbers of nonemployer establishments are services to dwellings (63%); office administrative services (12%); and business support services (9%). The owners of nonemployer firms typically perform the work and may outsource support functions like marketing and accounting.
- The administrative and waste management services sector has shed about 38,500 establishments annually, which equals about 10.6% of existing establishments. However, the sector has added about 42,900 new establishments annually, which is equivalent to 11.8% of existing establishments. As a result, the sector has an average growth rate of 1.2%.
Industry Forecast
US Administrative and Waste Management Services Sector Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Jan 3, 2025 - Workers Seeking to Change Jobs Hits 15-Year High
- As hiring has slowed, more white-collar workers want to change jobs, according to The Wall Street Journal. A November Gallup survey of 20,000 workers showed that more than half said they were watching out for or were actively seeking a new job, marking the highest level of white-collar job seeking since 2015. However, unlike the so-called Great Resignation of 2021 and 2022, when millions found new jobs with better pay, hiring and wage growth have slowed. According to Gallup, workers are increasingly dissatisfied amid smaller raises, fewer opportunities for advancement, added responsibilities, and increased office attendance requirements. While job dissatisfaction seems to have risen, fewer workers are quitting. In September 2024, about three million people quit their jobs, compared to about 2.5 million who did so the same month a year earlier.
- According to a survey released by SmartRecruiters in December, 60% of business leaders worry that they have hired the wrong person. The survey also showed that 45% of leaders spend more than half of their time on tasks related to hiring. The leading negative impacts caused by ineffective hiring were damaged brand reputation (30% of respondents), weaker sales performance (29%), slower business growth (28%), and reduced service quality (28%). About 56% of those surveyed said the recruiting process has become more complicated in recent years due to the rises in digital nomads, international employees, and remote work. SmartRecruiters’ survey included business leaders at 500 companies in North America, the UK, and Australia.
- While most employers are implementing return-to-office requirements, they realize the need to balance in-office work with the value that employees place on working from home, according to a recent survey by advisory firm WTW. About 61% of US companies surveyed said they had implemented a formal policy requiring employees to be in the office for a minimum number of days per week. The most cited reasons for in-office requirements included better engagement within teams (84% of respondents), reinforcing corporate culture (71%), and increasing productivity through better collaboration (64%). However, firms recognize that many workers value remote work. When asked about the leading benefit of remote work, 84% of those surveyed said attracting and retaining talent for roles that would go unfilled without remote work options, 78% said better work-life balance improved engagement, and 76% said remote work improved retention.
- In 2023, the US recycling rate for aluminum cans was 43%, down from an average of about 52% since 1990, according to a report released in December by the Aluminum Association and the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI). In 2021, CMI and its members established a goal of hitting a 70% recycling rate by 2030. However, given the current rate, achieving the CMI’s 2030 goal is unlikely given current US recycling systems and policy. To help improve aluminum recycling, in 2025 CMI plans to lobby for extended producer responsibility (EPR) and deposit return legislation. Through EPR programs, firms that manufacture packaging products provide financial or operational support to help collect, recycle, and manage packaging. By August 2024 the only states with EPR laws were California, Colorado, Maine, Oregon, New Jersey, Minnesota, and Washington, according to Source Intelligence.
Get A Demo
Vertical IQ’s Industry Intelligence Platform
See for yourself why over 60,000 users trust Vertical IQ for their industry research and call preparation needs. Our easy-to-digest industry insights save call preparation time and help differentiate you from the competition.
Build valuable, lasting relationships by having smarter conversations -
check out Vertical IQ today.