UK Companies House · Headcount changes
Who's hiring — and who's cutting
Year-on-year headcount change for every UK company that files detailed accounts — built for recruiters tracking which teams are scaling up and which are shedding staff.
38,844 companies analysed · 12 industries · snapshot 2026-08-01
Fastest-growing headcount · UK 2026
Top 25 by year-on-year headcount growth — companies of 20+ staff that scaled their team
| # | Company | Industry | Headcount | Growth | Trend | Cost/head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | INVESTORS IN PRIVATE CAPITAL LIMITED Private equity investment vehicle | Industrials | 24 96 | +300% | £35k | |
| 02 | MERSEY VIEW LEARNING TRUST Secondary school academy trust | Consumer Discretionary | 143 566 | +296% | £45k | |
| 03 | UBISOFT LIMITED Video game publisher subsidiary | Consumer Discretionary | 44 174 | +295% | £47k | |
| 04 | THE PEOPLE'S LEARNING TRUST Everton-linked multi-academy trust | Consumer Discretionary | 65 250 | +285% | £32k | |
| 05 | JOHNSON MATTHEY DAVY TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED Chemical process engineering subsidiary | Basic Materials | 209 778 | +272% | £94k | |
| 06 | BENSLOW MUSIC TRUST Music education charitable trust | Consumer Discretionary | 37 136 | +268% | £5k | |
| 07 | EMBRACE STEEL GROUP LTD Steel frame manufacturing group | Industrials | 28 101 | +261% | £37k | |
| 08 | MOTEL ONE (SCOTLAND) LIMITED Scottish hotel operator | Consumer Discretionary | 25 89 | +256% | £33k | |
| 09 | RESULTSCX UK LIMITED Customer experience and BPO provider | Industrials | 1,857 6,558 | +253% | £11k | |
| 10 | HOWDEN EMPLOYEE BENEFITS & WELLBEING LIMITED | Financials | 170 589 | +246% | £69k | |
| 11 | ABBEY UPLANDS CARE HOME LIMITED Residential care home operator | Health Care | 20 68 | +240% | £30k | |
| 12 | INTERMARINE UK LIMITED Marine and engineering workforce provider | Industrials | 155 521 | +236% | £59k | |
| 13 | LEARNING FOR LIFE TRUST Multi-academy trust | Consumer Discretionary | 89 296 | +233% | £39k | |
| 14 | PLANET EDUCATION NETWORKS LTD Higher education provider | Consumer Discretionary | 203 661 | +226% | £33k | |
| 15 | ADVANTAGE SCHOOLS Multi-academy trust | Consumer Discretionary | 296 958 | +224% | £41k | |
| 16 | GATEWAY MULTI ACADEMY TRUST Hampshire-based multi-academy trust | Consumer Discretionary | 209 676 | +223% | £30k | |
| 17 | RYCLIFF CARS LIMITED Motor retail group entity | Consumer Discretionary | 52 168 | +223% | £51k | |
| 18 | DALKIA FACILITIES LIMITED Facilities management services provider | Real Estate | 944 3,042 | +222% | £29k | |
| 19 | DRINKS WHOLESALE GROUP LTD | Consumer Discretionary | 24 75 | +213% | £14k | |
| 20 | MEDIA CONCIERGE (HOLDINGS) LIMITED | Consumer Discretionary | 276 862 | +212% | £33k | |
| 21 | OLR HOLDINGS LTD Apparel and sports goods manufacturer | Consumer Discretionary | 21 65 | +210% | £40k | |
| 22 | HIS - MIKI TRAVEL UK LIMITED Travel agency and retail operator | Consumer Discretionary | 25 77 | +208% | £52k | |
| 23 | AIRA HOME UK LTD Heat pump and solar installer | Industrials | 148 450 | +204% | £46k | |
| 24 | TALENTFUL LTD Tech-focused recruitment outsourcing provider | Industrials | 54 163 | +202% | £83k | |
| 25 | SWEEPTECH ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES LTD Waste management and drainage services | Consumer Discretionary | 87 261 | +200% | £52k |
Browse every growing company in the screener →
Sharpest headcount cuts
Top 25 by year-on-year headcount decline — talent likely coming onto the market
| # | Company | Industry | Headcount | Change | Trend | Cost/head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | BERKELEY SCOTT LIMITED Temporary employment agency | Industrials | 815 38 | -95% | £45k | |
| 02 | THE KELLAN GROUP LIMITED Multi-sector recruitment agency | Industrials | 852 59 | -93% | £44k | |
| 03 | SP FILM PRODUCTIONS LIMITED Motion picture production vehicle | Consumer Discretionary | 306 29 | -91% | £40k | |
| 04 | ACCENT CATERING SERVICES LIMITED Independent contract caterer | Consumer Discretionary | 926 98 | -89% | £249k | |
| 05 | GSR UK PRODUCTIONS LIMITED Film and television production company | Consumer Discretionary | 522 63 | -88% | £57k | |
| 06 | E&E INDUSTRIES (UK) LIMITED Motion picture production company | Consumer Discretionary | 501 62 | -88% | £51k | |
| 07 | STAR BRANDS LIMITED Household cleaning products manufacturer | Basic Materials | 237 31 | -87% | £45k | |
| 08 | MSSL (GB) LIMITED Automotive component manufacturer | Consumer Discretionary | 374 50 | -87% | £51k | |
| 09 | N SETHIA GROUP LTD Family-owned property holding group | Real Estate | 626 95 | -85% | £27k | |
| 10 | TRAVEL CHOICE OVERSEAS LIMITED Travel agency | Consumer Discretionary | 196 30 | -85% | £3k | |
| 11 | RODNEY PRODUCTIONS UK LIMITED | Consumer Discretionary | 158 26 | -84% | £54k | |
| 12 | LEGAL & GENERAL HOMES MODULAR LIMITED Modular housing manufacturer | Industrials | 312 53 | -83% | £103k | |
| 13 | RETAIL MERCHANT SERVICES LIMITED Payment processing services provider | Consumer Discretionary | 122 21 | -83% | £65k | |
| 14 | KASPERSKY LABS LIMITED Cybersecurity software provider | Technology | 4,670 916 | -80% | £110k | |
| 15 | SPLENDID RESTAURANTS (HARLAND) LIMITED KFC franchise operator | Consumer Discretionary | 875 181 | -79% | £64k | |
| 16 | PUTTSHACK LTD Holding company for mini-golf venues | Industrials | 1,504 318 | -79% | £22k | |
| 17 | QUILTER FINANCIAL PLANNING LIMITED Holding company for financial advisers | Financials | 335 73 | -78% | £102k | |
| 18 | BRIGHTON STM PROPERTIES LIMITED Property developer and investor | Real Estate | 573 127 | -78% | £172k | |
| 19 | SHARIEF GROUP LIMITED Pharmacy group operator | Consumer Staples | 844 193 | -77% | £111k | |
| 20 | CURTIS BANKS LIMITED SIPP and SSAS administrator | Financials | 265 63 | -76% | £117k | |
| 21 | INDEPENDENT WEALTH PLANNERS UK LIMITED Wealth management support services | Industrials | 200 48 | -76% | £67k | |
| 22 | PIMCO EUROPE LTD European asset management subsidiary | Financials | 394 97 | -75% | £646k | |
| 23 | MACFARLANES SERVICES LIMITED Law firm support services | Industrials | 783 193 | -75% | £115k | |
| 24 | ESSENCE GLOBAL LIMITED WPP-owned advertising agency | Consumer Discretionary | 493 122 | -75% | £367k | |
| 25 | MAGNA EXTERIORS (LIVERPOOL) LIMITED Automotive exterior parts manufacturer | Consumer Discretionary | 262 65 | -75% | £51k |
Headcount changes by industry
Growers and cutters within each ICB industry
Headcount drawn from each company's two most recent sets of filed accounts. Companies below 20 staff in either year are excluded — at that scale a single joiner or leaver dominates the percentage. Growth above +300% is treated as a scale or scope artefact and dropped. Snapshot 2026-08-01.