The recruitment and staffing industry in numbers: 15 phenomenal facts!

The recruitment and staffing sector is increasingly recognised for the contribution it makes to the economy and for the crucial support it provides to employers looking for staff and to people looking for work. Recruitment is also increasingly seen as a great industry to work in and to build a career in.

Here are 15 phenomenal facts about the sector:

1 The recruitment and staffing industry contributes £43 billion to the UK economy¹, more than the accounting or legal industries combined. The recruitment sector’s contribution to the UK economy is set to reach £51 billion by 2025.

2 The UK has one of the most successful and most dynamic recruitment and staffing industries in the world. The UK is the third biggest market in the world, behind only the US and Japan².

3 Recruitment and staffing firms in the UK make over 22 million temporary or contract placements and 540,000 permanent placements a year³.

4 The recruitment sector, and related industries, employs over 200,000 people in the UK4. The number of people working within the industry is growing by over 6% a year.

5 There are over 30,000 businesses in the UK specialising in recruitment and related services⁵. These cover a wide range of sectors, including professional services, creative industries, technology, engineering, life sciences, healthcare, education, construction and logistics.

6 The role of recruiter and talent acquisition specialist has been one of the fastest growing job titles in the UK over the past five years. It is on the LinkedIn ‘Jobs on the Rise’ top 20 list.

7 The current gender distribution within the UK recruitment sector is 52.6% female, 47.4% male⁶. The industry is committed to driving all strands of diversity and inclusion within its own workforce as well as helping other sectors to make positive change happen.

8 The recruitment sector embraces flexible working options – For example, a significant number of roles in the industry (23%) provide remote working opportunities⁷.

9 Globally, the private recruitment and employment services industry has a total annual turnover of over £400 billion ($532 bn)⁸. Across the world, 3.7 million people work within the recruitment and staffing sector9. This creates opportunities to build global networks, learn from other countries and to work overseas.

10 There are 190,000 private employment agencies operating across the world, delivering employment services to companies and individuals. The majority of agencies are in Europe, followed by Asia Pacific, North America and South America.

11 The skills and expertise for working in the recruitment sector are constantly evolving. Customer service and negotiation skills have always been at the forefront, and there is an increasing need for great relationship-building and communication skills¹⁰ (including storytelling and active listening).

12 84% of organizations are using social media as part of their recruitment activities¹¹ (with another 9% planning to do so) and 79% of job seekers use social media when looking for work¹². Careers in recruitment increasingly involves building deep expertise in harnessing social media and being at the cutting edge of latest developments and innovations.

The above list provides a brief snapshot of the impact that the recruitment and staffing industry makes in the UK and across the world. It also shines a light on the opportunities for dynamic and fulfilling careers, whether you are preparing for your first inroads into the world of work or considering a career transition. The REC’s support to individual recruiters through the REC professional offering is aimed at nurturing future career pathways in the sector. And continuing to roll out phenomenal facts about the industry will galvanise a new generation of recruitment professionals!

 

_{1 REC Recruitment Industry Status report (RISR) 2021/22
2 World Employment Confederation 2022 Economic Report
3 REC Recruitment Industry Status report (RISR) 2021/22
4 REC Recruitment Industry Status report (RISR) 2021/22
5 REC Recruitment Industry Status report (RISR) 2021/22
6 LinkedIn ‘Jobs on the Rise’ report
7 LinkedIn ‘Jobs on the Rise’ report
8 World Employment Confederation 2022 Economic Report
9 World Employment Confederation 2022 Economic Report
10 LinkedIn ‘Most In Demand Skills for Recruiters 2023’
11 Research by SHRM
12 Glassdoor data}