State of prospecting in UK recruitment, October 2026
50,334 active UK recruitment agencies, 7,052 formed in the last twelve months; 1,567 senior roles advertised by employers in the last 30 days.
Computed from Lockley's index, updated 20 October 2026.
Recruitment agencies formed each year, still on the register
A crowded, young market
2,745 agencies were formed in 2019 that are still on the register; 6,785 were formed in 2025. 50% of the agencies on the register today were formed in the last five years, so many of the agencies a client hears from are young.
Where agencies are registered
What it means for an agency owner
Every senior role an employer advertises itself is a client who might have used an agency, visible to whoever looks first.
A company hiring in a function for the first time is the warmest opening: likely no incumbent agency for that role, and a hiring manager without a habit to fall back on.
With most agencies invisible online, an agency with a clear site and a specialism stands out.
Method
Agencies are active UK companies whose SIC codes include 78109 or 78200. Formations count agencies on the register today by incorporation year. Websites are those matched to the company by Lockley's domain resolution. Hiring covers roles at manager level and above advertised by the employer and matched to a company; ads posted by agencies are excluded at source, so no share of roles going direct is claimed. A first hire in a function means the first Lockley has seen; its job records begin in September 2026, so it is a first reading, not a trend. Formations count only agencies still on the register, so earlier years are understated by those since dissolved; agency size and survival rates are not claimed.
See which of these companies are worth calling for your business, with the source for each.
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