By 2028, the UK staffing market is projected to reach £220 billion, but the current snapshot is just as telling. In 2023, agency pay averaged £12.45 per hour and NHS agency staffing reached 120,000 full time equivalents while only 65% of temps moved into permanent roles within 12 months. The gap between short assignments and long term outcomes, plus sharp regional and sector differences, is where the real picture of UK staffing comes into focus.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, 1.14 million people were employed as agency temps in the UK, representing 3.7% of total employment
- UK agency workers totalled 911,000 in Q4 2023, down 2% from peak but stable
- Permanent placements by UK agencies reached 850,000 in 2023
- Industrial sector dominated with 32% of UK temp workforce in 2023
- Healthcare staffing accounted for 14% of UK agency billings in 2023
- IT & Tech sector made up 12.5% of permanent placements in UK 2023
- The UK staffing industry turnover reached £152.4 billion in 2023, marking a 6% increase from the previous year
- Temporary staffing spend in the UK grew by 8.2% year-on-year to £36.7 billion in Q4 2023
- The permanent recruitment market in the UK achieved £42.1 billion in fee income during 2023
- London region hosted 28% of UK staffing agency turnover in 2023
- South East England accounted for 18% of temp placements UK 2023
- Midlands generated 14.5% of staffing revenue UK 2023
- 67% of UK staffing agencies reported skills shortages as top challenge in 2023
- AI adoption in UK recruitment reached 45% of agencies by end-2023
- Remote work placements dropped to 22% of total in UK staffing 2023
In 2023 the UK staffing market hit £152.4bn as agency temps fell slightly but pay and demand rose.
Related reading
01 · Category
Employment and Agency Workers26 stats
01
In 2023, 1.14 million people were employed as agency temps in the UK, representing 3.7% of total employment
02
UK agency workers totalled 911,000 in Q4 2023, down 2% from peak but stable
03
Permanent placements by UK agencies reached 850,000 in 2023
04
Female agency workers comprised 52.3% of the UK temp workforce in 2023
05
Over-50s made up 12.4% of UK agency temps in 2023, up from 10% in 2020
06
BAME workers represented 18.7% of UK staffing agency workforce in 2023
07
Average weekly hours for UK temps were 31.2 in 2023
08
28% of UK temps worked in industrial roles in 2023
09
UK agency worker pay averaged £12.45 per hour in 2023, up 5.8% YoY
10
15.2% of UK workforce had agency experience in last 5 years as of 2023
11
London accounted for 22% of all UK agency temp placements in 2023
12
Zero-hour contract agency workers numbered 140,000 in UK 2023
13
NHS agency staff totalled 120,000 full-time equivalents in 2023
14
Manufacturing agency workers: 250,000 in UK 2023
15
Construction temps: 180,000 placed in UK 2023
16
Retail agency staff peaked at 300,000 during holidays 2023 UK
17
Hospitality temps: 220,000 in UK 2023
18
Logistics agency workers: 400,000 in UK 2023
19
IT contractors via agencies: 95,000 in UK 2023
20
Finance temps: 45,000 placed UK 2023
21
Engineering agency staff: 110,000 UK 2023
22
Healthcare non-medical temps: 80,000 UK 2023
23
Education supply teachers: 40,000 agency-placed UK 2023
24
Average tenure of UK agency temps was 8.4 weeks in 2023
25
65% of UK temps transitioned to permanent roles within 12 months in 2023
26
Disability representation among UK agency workers was 9.2% in 2023
Interpretation
Employment and Agency Workers Interpretation
Even as agency temping shows its age with a graying and diverse workforce providing the UK's essential flexibility—from nurses to forklift drivers—its fleeting, eight-week romances often blossom into steady employment, proving that sometimes the best way to get a permanent seat at the table is to first pull up a temporary chair.
02 · Category
Industry Sectors23 stats
01
Industrial sector dominated with 32% of UK temp workforce in 2023
02
Healthcare staffing accounted for 14% of UK agency billings in 2023
03
IT & Tech sector made up 12.5% of permanent placements in UK 2023
04
Logistics & Warehousing temps comprised 22% of total temps UK 2023
05
Construction staffing represented 11% of market turnover UK 2023
06
Retail & Commercial office staff 18% of temp market UK 2023
07
Engineering & Technical 9% of UK staffing fees in 2023
08
Financial Services 7.2% of permanent recruitment UK 2023
09
Hospitality 6.8% of temp placements UK 2023
10
Public Sector non-NHS 5.4% of agency spend UK 2023
11
Manufacturing industrial temps 25% share UK 2023
12
Education sector agency staff 4.1% of total UK 2023
13
Energy & Utilities 3.7% of engineering staffing UK 2023
14
Automotive sector temps 2.9% UK market 2023
15
Pharmaceuticals & Life Sciences 3.2% staffing turnover UK 2023
16
Media & Creative 2.5% of specialist recruitment UK 2023
17
Telecoms & Digital 2.8% agency placements UK 2023
18
Legal professionals staffing 1.9% of market UK 2023
19
Marketing & PR temps 2.1% UK 2023
20
Agriculture seasonal workers via agencies 1.5% UK 2023
21
Aerospace staffing 1.7% of engineering UK 2023
22
Environmental services temps 1.2% market share UK 2023
23
Transport excluding logistics 1.4% agency workers UK 2023
Interpretation
Industry Sectors Interpretation
While Britain’s industrial backbone may be propped up by temporary hands, its staffing agencies are busy playing a high-stakes game of sectoral Monopoly, where healthcare holds the expensive Park Lane and agriculture is stuck with the Old Kent Road.
03 · Category
Market Size and Revenue30 stats
01
The UK staffing industry turnover reached £152.4 billion in 2023, marking a 6% increase from the previous year
02
Temporary staffing spend in the UK grew by 8.2% year-on-year to £36.7 billion in Q4 2023
03
The permanent recruitment market in the UK achieved £42.1 billion in fee income during 2023
04
Overall UK staffing market gross volume stood at £189.2 billion for the full year 2023
05
Contract staffing turnover in the UK hit £73.6 billion in 2023, representing 39% of total industry turnover
06
UK recruitment agencies placed 1.2 million temporary workers in 2023, contributing to a total agency spend of £152 billion
07
The industrial staffing segment generated £28.4 billion in turnover in 2023, up 12% from 2022
08
Office professionals staffing market reached £14.2 billion in the UK for 2023
09
UK staffing industry profit margins averaged 4.2% in 2023 across top 100 agencies
10
Total UK flexible workforce spend was £41.5 billion in Q1 2024, a 4% rise YoY
11
The UK staffing market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.1% from 2024-2028, reaching £220 billion by 2028
12
In 2022, UK staffing turnover was £143.7 billion, with temps comprising 25% of the workforce
13
Public sector staffing spend in the UK was £12.8 billion in 2023
14
IT staffing in the UK generated £18.9 billion in 2023
15
UK recruitment tech spend within staffing hit £1.2 billion in 2023
16
Healthcare staffing turnover reached £9.4 billion in the UK in 2023, up 15%
17
Engineering staffing market in UK was £7.6 billion in 2023
18
Financial services staffing fees totalled £5.3 billion in 2023 UK
19
Logistics staffing spend was £22.1 billion in UK 2023
20
Legal staffing turnover £3.8 billion in UK 2023
21
Marketing staffing market £4.2 billion UK 2023
22
Construction staffing £16.7 billion UK 2023
23
Hospitality staffing £8.9 billion UK 2023 post-pandemic recovery
24
Retail temp staffing £11.3 billion UK 2023 seasonal peak
25
Education staffing £6.1 billion UK 2023
26
Automotive staffing £2.9 billion UK 2023
27
Pharma staffing £4.7 billion UK 2023
28
Energy sector staffing £3.5 billion UK 2023 green transition
29
Media staffing £1.8 billion UK 2023
30
Telecoms staffing £2.4 billion UK 2023
Interpretation
Market Size and Revenue Interpretation
The UK staffing industry, now a £189 billion behemoth, is essentially the nation's professional matchmaker on steroids, deftly placing 1.2 million temps while quietly building a £220 billion future, proving that flexibility is not just a perk but the very engine of the modern economy.
More related reading
04 · Category
Regional Distribution23 stats
01
London region hosted 28% of UK staffing agency turnover in 2023
02
South East England accounted for 18% of temp placements UK 2023
03
Midlands generated 14.5% of staffing revenue UK 2023
04
North West 12% of agency workers UK 2023
05
Scotland 7.2% market share in staffing UK 2023
06
Yorkshire & Humber 9.1% temp billings UK 2023
07
South West 6.8% permanent placements UK 2023
08
Wales 4.3% of total agency spend UK 2023
09
East of England 8.2% industrial staffing UK 2023
10
Northern Ireland 1.9% staffing turnover UK 2023
11
Greater Manchester 6.4% of national temp workforce UK 2023
12
West Midlands industrial hub 9.7% market UK 2023
13
East Midlands logistics 7.1% share UK 2023
14
North East England 4.8% construction temps UK 2023
15
Kent & Sussex 3.2% logistics staffing UK 2023
16
Liverpool & Merseyside 3.9% warehousing UK 2023
17
Bristol area 2.8% tech staffing UK 2023
18
Edinburgh 2.1% financial services UK 2023
19
Glasgow industrial 1.7% national UK 2023
20
Cardiff 1.4% public sector UK 2023
21
Belfast 1.1% manufacturing temps UK 2023
22
Cambridge tech cluster 2.3% IT placements UK 2023
23
Sheffield advanced manufacturing 1.6% UK 2023
Interpretation
Regional Distribution Interpretation
If London is the flashy head office taking all the credit, then the rest of the UK is the determined, specialized, and slightly put-upon body keeping the entire operation running.
05 · Category
Trends and Challenges10 stats
01
67% of UK staffing agencies reported skills shortages as top challenge in 2023
02
AI adoption in UK recruitment reached 45% of agencies by end-2023
03
Remote work placements dropped to 22% of total in UK staffing 2023
04
Gig economy platforms captured 8% of temp market UK 2023
05
ESG compliance affected 35% of client contracts in UK staffing 2023
06
Brexit-related labour shortages impacted 52% of industrial agencies UK 2023
07
Diversity hiring mandates met by 61% of large agencies UK 2023
08
Inflation drove 7.2% rise in agency margins UK 2023
09
Mental health support offered by 78% of recruiters UK 2023
10
Cyber threats rose 29% in staffing firms UK 2023
Interpretation
Trends and Challenges Interpretation
Despite facing a perfect storm of persistent skills gaps, Brexit woes, and rising cyber threats, UK recruiters have cunningly adapted by raising their rates, leaning on AI, and mostly keeping their humanity intact by prioritizing mental health support even as remote opportunities recede.
Reference
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APA
Marie Larsen. (2026, February 13). Uk Staffing Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/uk-staffing-industry-statistics
MLA
Marie Larsen. "Uk Staffing Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/uk-staffing-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Marie Larsen. 2026. "Uk Staffing Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/uk-staffing-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
80 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level