Temporary employees by occupation in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Temporary employees by occupation was 1,422 Thousand persons in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
1,422 Thousand persons
Change on year
down 6.3%
World rank
10th
of 45 countries
All-time high
1,687 Thousand persons
in 1997
All-time low
1,138 Thousand persons
in 1983
Years of data
37
1983–2019

Temporary employees by occupation in United Kingdom, 1983–2019

05001.0k1.5k1983200120191983: 1.1k Thousand persons1984: 1.3k Thousand persons1985: 1.5k Thousand persons1986: 1.5k Thousand persons1987: 1.3k Thousand persons1988: 1.3k Thousand persons1989: 1.2k Thousand persons1990: 1.2k Thousand persons1991: 1.2k Thousand persons1992: 1.2k Thousand persons1993: 1.3k Thousand persons1994: 1.4k Thousand persons1995: 1.5k Thousand persons1996: 1.6k Thousand persons1997: 1.7k Thousand persons1998: 1.6k Thousand persons1999: 1.6k Thousand persons2000: 1.6k Thousand persons2001: 1.6k Thousand persons2002: 1.5k Thousand persons2003: 1.4k Thousand persons2004: 1.4k Thousand persons2005: 1.4k Thousand persons2006: 1.4k Thousand persons2007: 1.5k Thousand persons2008: 1.4k Thousand persons2009: 1.4k Thousand persons2010: 1.5k Thousand persons2011: 1.5k Thousand persons2012: 1.6k Thousand persons2013: 1.6k Thousand persons2014: 1.7k Thousand persons2015: 1.6k Thousand persons2016: 1.6k Thousand persons2017: 1.5k Thousand persons2018: 1.5k Thousand persons2019: 1.4k Thousand persons

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Thousand persons.

Analysis

The most recent figure for temporary employees by occupation in United Kingdom is 1,422 Thousand persons, measured in 2019.

The figure is down 6.3% on the previous year and up 1.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, temporary employees by occupation in United Kingdom peaked at 1,687 Thousand persons in 1997 and was at its lowest, 1,138 Thousand persons, in 1983.

United Kingdom ranks 10th of 45 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

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

Temporary employees by occupation in United Kingdom, year by year

Annual values for Temporary employees by occupation in United Kingdom, 1983 to 2019.
Year Thousand persons Change
1983 1,138 Thousand persons
1984 1,284 Thousand persons +12.8%
1985 1,493 Thousand persons +16.2%
1986 1,504 Thousand persons +0.7%
1987 1,342 Thousand persons -10.8%
1988 1,314 Thousand persons -2.1%
1989 1,208 Thousand persons -8.1%
1990 1,183 Thousand persons -2.1%
1991 1,182 Thousand persons -0.0%
1992 1,202 Thousand persons +1.6%
1993 1,259 Thousand persons +4.8%
1994 1,394 Thousand persons +10.7%
1995 1,532 Thousand persons +9.9%
1996 1,574 Thousand persons +2.8%
1997 1,687 Thousand persons +7.2%
1998 1,637 Thousand persons -3.0%
1999 1,584 Thousand persons -3.2%
2000 1,606 Thousand persons +1.4%
2001 1,615 Thousand persons +0.6%
2002 1,487 Thousand persons -7.9%
2003 1,422 Thousand persons -4.4%
2004 1,399 Thousand persons -1.6%
2005 1,428 Thousand persons +2.1%
2006 1,450 Thousand persons +1.5%
2007 1,469 Thousand persons +1.3%
2008 1,376 Thousand persons -6.3%
2009 1,406 Thousand persons +2.2%
2010 1,518 Thousand persons +7.9%
2011 1,537 Thousand persons +1.2%
2012 1,587 Thousand persons +3.3%
2013 1,577 Thousand persons -0.7%
2014 1,655 Thousand persons +5.0%
2015 1,627 Thousand persons -1.7%
2016 1,606 Thousand persons -1.3%
2017 1,537 Thousand persons -4.3%
2018 1,518 Thousand persons -1.3%
2019 1,422 Thousand persons -6.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 1,326 Thousand persons 1,138 Thousand persons 1,504 Thousand persons 7
1990s 1,423 Thousand persons 1,182 Thousand persons 1,687 Thousand persons 10
2000s 1,466 Thousand persons 1,376 Thousand persons 1,615 Thousand persons 10
2010s 1,558 Thousand persons 1,422 Thousand persons 1,655 Thousand persons 10

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 8 Netherlands 2,111 Thousand persons compare
  2. 8 Netherlands 2,111 Thousand persons compare
  3. 10 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1,422 Thousand persons compare
  4. 12 Portugal 672.9 Thousand persons compare
  5. 13 Sweden 635.7 Thousand persons 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 occupation in United Kingdom?
Temporary employees by occupation in United Kingdom was 1,422 Thousand persons in 2019, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest temporary employees by occupation recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 1,687 Thousand persons in 1997.
What is the lowest temporary employees by occupation recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 1,138 Thousand persons in 1983.
How does United Kingdom rank for temporary employees by occupation?
United Kingdom ranks 10th out of 45 countries with data for 2019.
Is temporary employees by occupation rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Temporary employees by occupation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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

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About this data

Indicator
Temporary employees by occupation
Unit
Thousand persons
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
47 places, 1,437 data points, 1983–2025
Last refreshed