Temporary employees by main reason in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Temporary employees by main reason was 4.4% in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
4.4%
Change on year
down 10.2%
World rank
34th
of 45 countries
All-time high
7.3%
in 1997
All-time low
4.4%
in 2019
Years of data
37
1983–2019

Temporary employees by main reason in United Kingdom, 1983–2019

024681983200120191983: 5.5 Percentage of employees1984: 6.1 Percentage of employees1985: 7 Percentage of employees1986: 7 Percentage of employees1987: 6.2 Percentage of employees1988: 5.9 Percentage of employees1989: 5.3 Percentage of employees1990: 5.2 Percentage of employees1991: 5.3 Percentage of employees1992: 5.4 Percentage of employees1993: 5.7 Percentage of employees1994: 6.3 Percentage of employees1995: 6.8 Percentage of employees1996: 6.9 Percentage of employees1997: 7.3 Percentage of employees1998: 6.9 Percentage of employees1999: 6.8 Percentage of employees2000: 6.7 Percentage of employees2001: 6.7 Percentage of employees2002: 6.1 Percentage of employees2003: 5.8 Percentage of employees2004: 5.7 Percentage of employees2005: 5.5 Percentage of employees2006: 5.6 Percentage of employees2007: 5.8 Percentage of employees2008: 4.6 Percentage of employees2009: 4.9 Percentage of employees2010: 5.1 Percentage of employees2011: 5.5 Percentage of employees2012: 5.8 Percentage of employees2013: 5.5 Percentage of employees2014: 5.6 Percentage of employees2015: 5.4 Percentage of employees2016: 5.5 Percentage of employees2017: 5.2 Percentage of employees2018: 4.9 Percentage of employees2019: 4.4 Percentage of employees

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Percentage of employees.

Analysis

The most recent figure for temporary employees by main reason in United Kingdom is 4.4%, measured in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 37 years on record.

The figure is down 10.2% on the previous year and down 10.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, temporary employees by main reason in United Kingdom peaked at 7.3% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 4.4%, in 2019.

United Kingdom ranks 34th of 45 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.

Temporary employees by main reason in United Kingdom, year by year

Annual values for Temporary employees by main reason in United Kingdom, 1983 to 2019.
Year Percentage of employees Change
1983 5.5%
1984 6.1% +10.9%
1985 7.0% +14.8%
1986 7.0% +0.0%
1987 6.2% -11.4%
1988 5.9% -4.8%
1989 5.3% -10.2%
1990 5.2% -1.9%
1991 5.3% +1.9%
1992 5.4% +1.9%
1993 5.7% +5.6%
1994 6.3% +10.5%
1995 6.8% +7.9%
1996 6.9% +1.5%
1997 7.3% +5.8%
1998 6.9% -5.5%
1999 6.8% -1.4%
2000 6.7% -1.5%
2001 6.7% +0.0%
2002 6.1% -9.0%
2003 5.8% -4.9%
2004 5.7% -1.7%
2005 5.5% -3.5%
2006 5.6% +1.8%
2007 5.8% +3.6%
2008 4.6% -20.7%
2009 4.9% +6.5%
2010 5.1% +4.1%
2011 5.5% +7.8%
2012 5.8% +5.5%
2013 5.5% -5.2%
2014 5.6% +1.8%
2015 5.4% -3.6%
2016 5.5% +1.9%
2017 5.2% -5.5%
2018 4.9% -5.8%
2019 4.4% -10.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 6.1% 5.3% 7.0% 7
1990s 6.3% 5.2% 7.3% 10
2000s 5.7% 4.6% 6.7% 10
2010s 5.3% 4.4% 5.8% 10

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 32 Ireland 7.8% compare
  2. 33 Hungary 4.5% compare
  3. 34 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 4.4% compare
  4. 36 Slovakia 4.2% compare
  5. 36 Slovakia 4.2% compare

See the full ranking of 47 places →

More work & labour data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is temporary employees by main reason in United Kingdom?
Temporary employees by main reason in United Kingdom was 4.4% in 2019, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest temporary employees by main reason recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 7.3% in 1997.
What is the lowest temporary employees by main reason recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 4.4% in 2019.
How does United Kingdom rank for temporary employees by main reason?
United Kingdom ranks 34th out of 45 countries with data for 2019.
Is temporary employees by main reason rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is down 10.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Temporary employees by main reason. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Temporary employees by main reason in United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/temporary-employees-by-main-reason/united-kingdom-2/

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About this data

Indicator
Temporary employees by main reason
Unit
Percentage of employees
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
47 places, 1,435 data points, 1983–2025
Last refreshed