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Temp staffing agency companies in London

2,601 temp staffing agency companies have a registered office in London, and 681 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £17,903 in cash and owed £15,935 at year end.

Companies House register, 1 September 2026, and accounts filed in the last twelve months. Compared with the official category “Temporary employment agency activities” (SIC 78200).

The numbers

Temp staffing agency companies in London compared with the same category across the UK. Typical figures are medians.
MeasureLondonUK
Registered companies2,60114,152
Formed in 2025 or 2026681 (26%)21%
Being struck off or in liquidation343 (13%)15%
Typical cash at year end£17,903450 accounts£19,303
Typical amount owed at year end£15,9351,028 accounts£26,442
Typical number of employees11,066 accounts2

What this means if you’re starting one

More of these companies are closing than in most trades

10% of temp staffing agency companies in London are currently being struck off, against 6.9% of all companies there. Nationally that rate is higher than 89% of UK industries.

Closures run high here. It is a churn signal, not a survival rate, but it means the common failure points are worth learning before you start.

Most of these businesses are run by one or two people

The typical temp staffing agency company in London reports 1 employee; the top quarter has 5 or more (1,066 filings).

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

You can start without much equipment

The typical temp staffing agency company in London carries £2,626 of equipment and other fixed assets after depreciation, lower than 81% of UK industries.

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

Planning a business like this in London?

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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.

Temp staffing agency in other places

Other businesses in London

All business benchmarks in London