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
29th
of 35 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: 5.51984: 6.11985: 71986: 71987: 6.21988: 5.91989: 5.31990: 5.21991: 5.31992: 5.41993: 5.71994: 6.31995: 6.81996: 6.91997: 7.31998: 6.91999: 6.82000: 6.72001: 6.72002: 6.12003: 5.82004: 5.72005: 5.52006: 5.62007: 5.82008: 4.62009: 4.92010: 5.12011: 5.52012: 5.82013: 5.52014: 5.62015: 5.42016: 5.52017: 5.22018: 4.92019: 4.4

Source: Eurostat.

Analysis

In 2019, temporary employees by main reason in United Kingdom stood at 4.4. That is the lowest value across all 37 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it 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.

That places United Kingdom 29th out of 35 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 6.14 5.3 7 7
1990s 6.26 5.2 7.3 10
2000s 5.74 4.6 6.7 10
2010s 5.29 4.4 5.8 10

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 27 Ireland 7.8 compare
  2. 28 Hungary 4.5 compare
  3. 30 Slovak Republic 4.2 compare
  4. 31 Estonia 3.4 compare
  5. 32 Latvia 2.8 compare

See the full ranking of 38 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 29th out of 35 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 22 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/temporary-employees-by-main-reason/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Temporary employees by main reason
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
38 places, 1,161 data points, 1983–2025
Last refreshed