Administrative & Waste Management Services
NAICS 56 Admin Support & Waste Management: staffing, facilities services, waste collection, and remediation.
Industry at a Glance
Sector-wide aggregates across all businesses classified under NAICS 56 (2017 classification frame). For specific sub-industries within this sector, see the individual reports below.
Industry Overview
NAICS 56 covers two functionally distinct segments under one classification: administrative and support services (NAICS 561), which handle outsourced business operations like staffing, security, janitorial, and call center work; and waste management and remediation services (NAICS 562), which collect, treat, and dispose of solid and hazardous waste. In staffing, Robert Half, Kelly Services, and Randstad North America operate as the largest temporary-placement firms, while ADP and Paychex dominate payroll processing and HR administration. The waste segment is controlled by three publicly traded operators—Waste Management Inc., Republic Services, and GFL Environmental—which together service the majority of US municipal solid waste collection contracts. The EPA administers the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which governs hazardous waste from generation through disposal under a cradle-to-grave tracking system, and the CERCLA (CERCLA, or Superfund) funds cleanup of contaminated sites. OSHA's General Industry Standards apply across both segments, with additional regulations for waste workers handling bloodborne pathogens, hazardous chemicals, and heavy equipment. Geographic concentration follows population density for administrative services and industrial activity for remediation: Houston, the Gulf Coast, and New Jersey's chemical corridor generate disproportionate demand for environmental cleanup.
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Industry Trends
Staffing industry revenue functions as an economic leading indicator—temporary help services payrolls peaked in March 2022 and declined for 24 consecutive months, signaling the labor market slowdown before it appeared in total nonfarm payroll figures, a pattern consistent with prior business cycles.
EPA enforcement of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination under proposed CERCLA hazardous substance designations is creating a new category of remediation demand at military bases, airports, and manufacturing sites where aqueous film-forming foam was historically used.
Waste Management and Republic Services are investing in renewable natural gas (RNG) capture at landfills, converting methane emissions into pipeline-quality fuel sold under EPA's Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) RIN credits—a revenue stream that improves landfill economics while meeting state-level diversion mandates in California (SB 1383) and other states.
Joint-employer liability rules under the NLRB's 2023 revised standard expand potential labor obligations for companies using staffing agencies, forcing both staffing firms and their clients to restructure contract terms and risk-allocation frameworks around collective bargaining and workplace safety.
Facility services consolidation is accelerating: ABM Industries acquired Able Services, and Cintas expanded its uniform and janitorial supply footprint, building national-scale platforms that compete on route density and cross-selling facility maintenance, pest control, and fire protection services.
Available Reports
2 industry reports available for purchase under Administrative & Waste Management Services.
Specialty Reports Available on Request
44 specialty industriesavailable on request▾
Subsectors
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is NAICS 56? ▾
Who are the largest staffing and temporary employment companies? ▾
How is the waste management industry regulated? ▾
Why are staffing levels considered an economic leading indicator? ▾
What is PFAS remediation and why is it growing? ▾
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