200%+ increase in new recruitment agencies in 2019

Around eight and a half thousand new recruitment agencies set up shop in 2019, according to recruitment finance and back-office tech provider Sonovate.

The data, extracted from Companies House, reveals 8,456 new recruitment agencies launched in 2019 – a 230% increase in the number of recruitment companies launched in 2010, when 2,556 were set up.

Most agencies registered in 2019 were based in Greater London and the South-East, followed by Birmingham, Leicester and Manchester.

Commenting on the data, Sonovate co-CEO Richard Prime said: “It’s great to see the recruitment industry in such good health, despite the uncertainty surrounding Brexit that has dominated the last year.

“The UK is a nation of entrepreneurs, and small, nimble recruitment specialists have come to dominate the market due to lower start-up costs, better access to finance and a more connected world.”

• Comment below on this story. You can also tweet us to tell us your thoughts or share this story with a friend. Our editorial email is [email protected]

Two US locations offer a new Scene for tech recruiter

London-based Scene, a specialist tech recruitment and growth consultancy, has announced the opening of two new US offices in New York and Los Angeles.

New to Market 19 April 2024

Government update on bad umbrellas “underwhelming”

Industry commentators have dismissed yesterday’s promise to introduce a statutory due diligence requirement later this year as “a big fat nothing burger”.

Legislation 19 April 2024

FINANCIALS: Hays cites ‘challenging’ conditions on quarterly results

Challenging market conditions were cited by global recruiter Hays as the company saw a 14% fall in group fees year-on-year with actual net fees dropping by 17%.

Financials 17 April 2024

FINANCIALS: Gattaca report showcases key initiatives delivered in first half of 2024

Specialist engineering recruiter Gattaca has reported a net fee income (NFI) of £19.7m, down 13% year-on-year in interim results for the six months ended 31 January 2024.

Financials 17 April 2024
Top