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Recruitment agency companies in the Southampton area

282 recruitment agency companies have a registered office in the Southampton area (SO postcodes), and 54 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £40,262 in cash and owed £30,472 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). Covers companies with a registered office in SO postcodes, including Southampton, Winchester, Eastleigh.

The numbers

Recruitment agency companies in the Southampton area (SO postcodes) compared with the same category across the UK. Typical figures are medians.
MeasureSouthamptonUK
Registered companies28227,434
Formed in 2025 or 202654 (19%)22%
Being struck off or in liquidation30 (11%)13%
Typical cash at year end£40,26277 accounts£30,794
Typical amount owed at year end£30,472162 accounts£29,072
Typical number of employees1163 accounts1

What this means if you’re starting one

You can start without much equipment

The typical recruitment agency company in the Southampton area (SO postcodes) carries £2,670 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 the Southampton area (SO postcodes) reports 1 employee; the top quarter has 2 or more (163 filings).

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

Planning a business like this in Southampton?

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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 Southampton

All business benchmarks in Southampton