Biggest Industries by Employment in the UK in 2020

1. Supermarkets in the UK

Employment number for 2020: 1,229,611

Changing shopping habits, the aggressive expansion of discount supermarkets and increased external competition have all influenced industry performance over the past five years. Prices have been cut by the largest operators since the start of the price war in a highly competitive environment. However, these have paled in the light of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis. The national lockdown and closure of the hospitality sector has meant that the population was reliant on supermarkets to supply them their sustenance throughout the beginning of 2020-21. As the economy remains subdued throughout 2020-21, disposable income is expected to continue falling and confidence is... Learn More

2. Hospitals in the UK

Employment number for 2020: 840,332

This industry provides medical, diagnostic and treatment services at general and specialised hospitals. A growing and ageing population has increased demand, but public healthcare budgets have failed to keep pace with demand. This has aided demand for private hospitals, as a greater number of patients are seeking private treatment. Over the five years through 2020-21, revenue is expected to rise at a compound annual rate of 0.4% to reach £95.2 billion.

The National Health Service (NHS) has suffered the slowest decade of spending growth of its existence, while inpatient admissions have risen and the total number of beds have declined.... Learn More

3. Charities in the UK

Employment number for 2020: 782,407

Operators in the Charities industry are defined as non-profit organisations with some meaningful degree of voluntary participation and whose aims are in the public benefit. This covers a broad range of charitable objectives, from emergency relief and international aid to arts programmes. Charities derive income primarily from donations made by individuals and grants received from the public sector or benevolent organisations, meaning economic conditions play a large role in industry revenue.

Revenue is forecast to decline at a compound annual rate of 0.3% over the five years through 2020-21 to £52.1 billion. This is largely attributable to a decline of 11.2%... Learn More

4. General Secondary Education in the UK

Employment number for 2020: 705,377

The General Secondary Education industry provides education to students between 11 and 18 years of age. Most schools are funded by the government or local education authorities (LEAs), although the industry also includes privately funded independent schools, which are likely to drive industry growth over the five years through 2020-21. The majority of secondary schools are either academies, which are state-funded but operate independently of LEAs, or maintained schools, which are controlled by LEAs. Both operate according to government guidelines and are therefore directly influenced by government policy.

Industry operators rely heavily on government funding, which has remained fairly safeguarded from... Learn More

5. Temporary-Employment Placement Agencies in the UK

Employment number for 2020: 701,613

Businesses in this industry provide clients with workers to temporarily replace or supplement their existing labour force. Industry performance generally hinges on economic conditions, in particular, the unemployment rate and business confidence. Both good and weak conditions can benefit the industry, but weak conditions can initially hinder performance as hiring slows. When the economy is strong and unemployment is low, businesses turn to employment placement agencies to help find suitable skilled and unskilled labour. Additionally, if business confidence falls, temporary workers are often the first to be hired, as tentative businesses seek flexibility in their hiring practices to insulate themselves... Learn More

6. Construction Contractors in the UK

Employment number for 2020: 636,970

Operators in the Construction Contractors industry are active across the building construction and civil engineering markets. While, by broad definition, industry operators are remunerated for completing new building and infrastructure construction contracts, or for fulfilling maintenance, repair, renovation and remodelling contract obligations, the spectrum of services offered by civils and general building contractors in this industry is multifaceted. Some contractors focus almost exclusively on the construction of new dwellings, while civil engineering specialists afford clients services across the infrastructure value chain. Meanwhile, some contractors specialise in commercial building activity, while many independent contractors may focus on small-scale maintenance contracts in local markets.Inclusive of 1.5% growth expected... Learn More

7. Primary Education in the UK

Employment number for 2020: 555,069

The Primary Education industry consists of approximately 26,500 schools. Approximately 93% of primary school pupils attend state-funded schools and academies, with the remainder enrolled at independent schools. Industry revenue is mostly derived from government funding, either distributed directly to establishments or via local education authorities, with the remainder consisting of tuition fees and donations from children enrolled in privately funded independent schools. IBISWorld expects industry revenue to decrease at a compound annual rate of 1.2% over the five years through 2020-21 to £32.8 billion. This can be attributed to declines in government spending on education over some years of the... Learn More

8. Full-Service Restaurants in the UK

Employment number for 2020: 535,425

The Full-Service Restaurants industry grew strongly over the first half of the past five-year period. However, cost increases and weak consumer demand following the UK's decision to leave the European Union has reversed this trend in the second half of the period. The industry's performance has also been influenced by trends in consumer preferences. Although disposable income and consumer confidence declined in 2016-17, households increased their weekly expenditure on restaurants. This increase reflects a higher number of bookings and the exceptionally hot weather in September 2016. Nevertheless, increases in the National Living Wage, business rates, input costs and saturation in... Learn More

9. Management Consultants in the UK

Employment number for 2020: 439,874

The Management Consultants industry covers a broad range of consulting services, including strategic and organisational planning, marketing, IT, human resource consulting and business process management. Over the five years through 2019-20, industry revenue is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 2.8%, including growth of 4.5% in the current year, to reach £55.5 billion. This growth is anticipated to be largely driven by rising demand for IT consulting services. In addition, regulatory changes in the financial services sector, the industry’s largest downstream market, have benefited industry participants, as banks and other financial institutions have required assistance to reformulate... Learn More

10. Universities in the UK

Employment number for 2020: 426,120

Universities provide higher education, leading to qualifications such as bachelor's degrees, foundation degrees, master's degrees and higher education diplomas. Over the past five years, the industry has faced challenges stemming from cuts to the level of funding received from the government and disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The share of revenue generated from tuition fees has increased over much of the period following a rise on the cap on undergraduate tuition fees from £3,000 in 2012 to £9,250 in 2017. The cap on undergraduate student numbers in the United Kingdom was also lifted over the period, leading to a... Learn More