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Recruitment agency companies in Bristol

469 recruitment agency companies have a registered office in Bristol, and 77 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £35,714 in cash and owed £33,329 at year end.

Companies House register, 1 September 2026, and accounts filed in the last twelve months. Compared with the official category “Other activities of employment placement agencies” (SIC 78109).

The numbers

Recruitment agency companies in Bristol compared with the same category across the UK. Typical figures are medians.
MeasureBristolUK
Registered companies46927,434
Formed in 2025 or 202677 (16%)22%
Being struck off or in liquidation47 (10%)13%
Typical cash at year end£35,714155 accounts£30,794
Typical amount owed at year end£33,329276 accounts£29,072
Typical number of employees2280 accounts1

What this means if you’re starting one

You can start without much equipment

The typical recruitment agency company in Bristol carries £1,559 of equipment and other fixed assets after depreciation, lower than 94% of UK industries.

Most of the cost of entry is time and running costs rather than kit, so a small test is cheap.

Most of these businesses are run by one or two people

The typical recruitment agency company in Bristol reports 2 employees; the top quarter has 3 or more (280 filings).

You are mostly up against owner-operators. Your own hours are likely to be your biggest cost, and the easiest one to undercount.

Bristol already has more of these businesses than most places

Recruitment agency companies are 0.66% of companies registered in Bristol, against 0.50% UK-wide (1.3× the national share).

Demand here is proven, but so is choice. Customers can compare you with several nearby options.

Planning a business like this in Bristol?

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What these figures can’t tell you

Companies are counted where their registered office is, which may be an accountant or a home address rather than a shop. Sole traders and partnerships are not on the register, and electronically filed accounts cover roughly 60–75% of accounts filed each year. The figures describe companies that exist; they cannot prove demand for your idea or predict whether it will work. How the figures are built.

Recruitment agency in other places

Other businesses in Bristol

All business benchmarks in Bristol