Using numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau, CollisionWeek reports that expenses (including payroll, benefits, rent and supplies) are eating up a higher percentage of shop revenue.
In 2005, expenses equaled 78.5 percent of shop revenue; in 2009, expenses were 85.3 percent of shop revenue.
Much of that change was based on falling revenue. From 2007 to 2009, shop revenue dropped 7.5 percent, while expenses dropped only 1.38 percent.