Biggest Industries by Employment in the UK in 2022

1. Supermarkets in the UK

Employment number for 2022: 1,288,724

Industry revenue is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 1.2% over the five years through 2021-22 to reach £187.7 billion. Changing shopping habits, the aggressive expansion of discount supermarkets and increased external competition have influenced industry performance over the past five years. The largest operators have cut prices to attract greater loyalty from their customers. The Big Four's grip on the industry has weakened as a result of slipping profit margins. Supply chains have also been disrupted due to a shortage of heavy goods vehicles drivers, which has inflated purchase costs. Nevertheless, supermarkets have been expanding into... Learn More

2. Hospitals in the UK

Employment number for 2022: 870,853

The Hospitals 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 this, which has aided demand for private hospitals as a greater number of patients seek private treatment. Over the five years through 2022-23, industry revenue is expected to rise at a compound annual rate of 2.3% to reach £112.7 billion.

The outbreak of COVID-19 (coronavirus) necessitated the release of significant government funding to help hospitals boost their capacities to treat afflicted patients. In 2020-21, the NHS received an additional... Learn More

3. Charities in the UK

Employment number for 2022: 836,335

Industry growth has been constrained throughout the period by falling funding from the European Union following the EU referendum in June 2016. Furthermore, high-profile scandals have prevented major players from claiming government funding, while support from the general public is expected to suffer. In combination with public funding cuts, charitable organisations' surplus margins have fallen throughout the period while demand for social services has risen. Cuts to overseas aid budgets announced in November 2020 are likely to further constrain revenue growth in the current year.

Industry revenue is expected to contract at a compound annual rate of 2.9% over the five... Learn More

4. Temporary-Employment Placement Agencies in the UK

Employment number for 2022: 708,703

Temporary-employment placement agencies 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 by slowing hiring activity. 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

5. General Secondary Education in the UK

Employment number for 2022: 695,038

The General Secondary Education industry provides education to students between 11 and 18. Most schools are funded by the government, though the industry also includes privately funded independent schools. The majority of secondary schools are either academies or maintained schools, which operate according to government guidelines. Industry operators rely heavily on government funding, which has remained safeguarded from wider economic turbulence over the past five-year period due to the importance of maintaining and improving the standard of UK education. Per-pupil funding has come under pressure due to growing operational costs and a rising birth rate through the 2000s, raising demand... Learn More

6. Direct Selling & Marketing in the UK

Employment number for 2022: 630,732

The Direct Selling and Marketing industry provides services to consumers away from a fixed retailing location and exclusively through personal contact. The industry markets and retails a wide variety of products, such as cosmetics, wellness products and clothing. The sale of fuel and food for immediate consumption does not fall under this industry. The industry markets itself through two methods: single-level marketing (SLM), where representatives earn money solely from commission; and multi-level marketing (MLM), where representatives earn commission from both their sales and those that they have recruited. MLM is expected to account for over three-quarters of industry revenue in... Learn More

7. Construction Contractors in the UK

Employment number for 2022: 548,498

Operators in the Construction Contractors industry are active across the building construction and civil engineering markets. While, by broad definition, 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 on the construction of new dwellings, while civil engineering specialists afford clients services across the infrastructure value chain. Some contractors specialise in commercial building activity, while many independent contractors may focus on small-scale maintenance contracts in local markets.

Prior to the... Learn More

8. Full-Service Restaurants in the UK

Employment number for 2022: 502,796

Industry revenue is forecast to fall at a compound annual rate of 1.5% over the five years through 2021-22 to £20.4 billion, largely due to a steep revenue contraction of 59.8% in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. The industry grew strongly over the two years through 2018-19. However, cost increases and weak consumer demand following the UK's vote to leave the European Union and the coronavirus pandemic reversed this trend in the second half of the period. The industry's performance has also been influenced by trends in consumer preferences.

Changing consumer tastes have shaped the industry over the... Learn More

9. Universities in the UK

Employment number for 2022: 456,529

Over the five years through 2021-22, the Universities industry's revenue is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 2% to £44.3 billion. This expansion can be attributed to an increase in student numbers, rising tuition fees and growing investment returns over much of the period. The increase in tuition fees to £9,250 in 2017-18 has been an important driver of revenue growth. Additionally, the cap on undergraduate student numbers in the United Kingdom was lifted in 2020-21, leading to a rise in student enrolments.

However, the industry has faced challenges stemming from cuts to the level of research funding... Learn More

10. Management Consultants in the UK

Employment number for 2022: 430,205

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 2022-23, industry revenue is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 2.2% to reach £70.2 billion. This growth has largely been 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 the industry, as banks and other financial institutions have required assistance to reformulate business strategies and operations in order to comply with new... Learn More