Retail Trade
Where this industry sits
According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Retail Trade ranks #3 of 21 industries by average penalty per inspection ($4K).
- #3
- of 21 by avg penalty / inspection
- $4K
- avg penalty per inspection
- $4K
- cross-industry avg (inspection-weighted)
What the Data Says About Retail Trade
According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Retail Trade ranks #3 of 21 industries by average penalty per inspection ($4K). The Retail Trade sector (NAICS 44-45) contains 12,945 employers with OSHA enforcement records, generating 10,505 inspections and 21,699 documented violations across the industry. That works out to 2.07 violations per inspection and roughly 0.8 inspections per employer. Cumulative OSHA penalties against this sector total $37.5M.
The listing order matches most-dangerous industries: average penalty per inspection, highest first. The inspection-weighted cross-industry average sits near $4K per inspection, so this sector runs at or below the mean. Industries with higher average penalties typically see a greater share of serious, willful, or repeat violations, categories OSHA reserves for hazards likely to cause serious physical harm or where employers knowingly disregarded the law.
The 12,945 employers shown below represent only workplaces with inspection or wage-theft enforcement records, not the full universe of Retail Trade businesses. Listings are drawn from the U.S. Department of Labor's enforcement database and updated monthly. Click any employer to view their full violation breakdown, penalty history, and wage-and-hour compliance record. For wage, occupational employment, and compensation context on this sector, cross-reference the related data sources at the bottom of this page.
Highest Combined Enforcement Total in Retail Trade
Ranked by OSHA penalties plus DOL Wage & Hour Division back-wage recoveries combined. A high total does not necessarily mean safety violations, an employer here may have zero OSHA citations and a large figure entirely from a wage-theft back-wage case (see the Violations column).
| # | Employer | Location | OSHA Violations | Penalties + Back Wages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kroger | Cincinnati, OH | 1 | $7.9M |
| 2 | Allsups Convenience Stores | Clovis, NM | 0 | $2.7M |
| 3 | Ericsson Inc. | Plano, TX | 0 | $1.2M |
| 4 | Helix Electric | Phoenix, AZ | 0 | $997K |
| 5 | Elite Tent Installs | Kennesaw, GA | 0 | $950K |
| 6 | Giant Farmers Market | Hackensack, NJ | 0 | $917K |
| 7 | General Nutrition Corporation | Pittsburgh, PA | 0 | $877K |
| 8 | Samsung Electronics America, Inc. | Ridgefield Park, NJ | 0 | $829K |
| 9 | Dolgencorp, LLC | Mobile, AL | 10 | $754K |
| 10 | Southern Tire Mart, LLC | Columbia, MS | 0 | $683K |
| 11 | Best One Group | Monroe, IN | 0 | $622K |
| 12 | Bosch | Lincolnton, NC | 0 | $606K |
| 13 | Fine Fare Supermarket | New York, NY | 0 | $600K |
| 14 | Food Star | Alexandria, VA | 0 | $590K |
| 15 | Fast N Esy | Fresno, CA | 0 | $586K |
| 16 | Daniyal Enterprises LLC - Corporate | Madison, NJ | 0 | $521K |
| 17 | Food Giant Supermarket | Miami Beach, FL | 0 | $496K |
| 18 | Diamond Wireless, LLC | Sandy, UT | 0 | $467K |
| 19 | La Primavera Supermarket #1 | Fort Pierce, FL | 0 | $451K |
| 20 | Dollar Tree Stores, INC. | Bay Shore, NY | 18 | $426K |
All Employers in Retail Trade
Nationwide industries with similar employer counts or penalty rates
Two OSHA-record peer sets for Retail Trade: nearest NAICS sectors by tracked employer count and by average penalty per inspection. These are cross-sector neighborhoods, not the same-prefix nearby list below.
Similar employer count
Nearest industries by tracked employers (12,945 here).
Similar avg penalty per inspection
Nearest industries by inspection-weighted penalty rate ($4K here).
Nearby & Related Industries
Retail Trade by State
Enforcement and wage-compliance data for Retail Trade broken out by state.
Explore More Data
Source: OSHA Enforcement Data - U.S. Department of Labor (data.dol.gov)
Source: NAICS Industry Classification - U.S. Census Bureau
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA Enforcement Data OSHA inspection + penalty records by NAICS sector · 2010–2026 OSHA enforcement records reflect inspections opened, citations issued, and penalty amounts assessed; final penalty amounts often differ from initial assessments after settlement.
Verify against the primary sources: OSHA Establishment Search · DOL Wage & Hour Division
Every figure on PlainWorker is rendered directly from official U.S. Department of Labor OSHA and Wage & Hour Division enforcement records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.