This list of largest United Kingdom employers includes public sector bodies; public listed companies (plc) such as those on the FTSE 100 Index; private companies (ltd), partnerships (often LLP) or other traders; and charitable sector organisations.
Public sector employers Partial statistics for public bodies are available from the Office for National Statistics.ONS, Public sector personnel As of September 2018, public sector employees represent 16.5% of all people in paid work, with the remaining 83.5% employed in the private sector.Public sector employment, UK: September 2018 Office for National Statistics
Employer Est. Sector Employees NHS England 1948 Health 1,400,000 NHS Scotland 1948 Health 160,000 Department for Work and Pensions 2001 Welfare 84,550British Army (Regular and Army Reserve) British Army 1660 Military 109,086Includes "temporary and casual" employees. HM Revenue & Customs 2005 Taxation 76,890 NHS Wales 1948 Healthcare 72,000Ministry of Justice 2007 Law 68,670Ministry of Defence 1940 Military 65,000 Metropolitan Police Service 1829 Police 50,000 (approx.) Network Rail 2002 Transport 42,206 (2020) Royal Air Force 1918 Military 37,200Regular and RAuxAF Royal Navy 1546 Military 36,320Regular and Maritime Reserve BBC 1927 Media 23,000 Home Office 1782 Security, immigration, etc. 25,850 Scottish Government 1999 Devolved government 17,000 Department for Transport 2002 Transport 17,640 Welsh Government 1999 Devolved government 5,682 Parliament of the United Kingdom 1707 Political representation 1,475
Public listed company employers
Statistics are available on an ad hoc basis from public company annual reports.nb, calculations differ depending on the company's subjective perception of who counts as an "employee". See UK labour law.
Currently Tesco and Compass Group are the largest plc employers.
Private company employers
Statistics on staff numbers were compiled in the Sunday Times "Top Track 100" of private companies for 2012.See Fast Track 100 ' (24 June 2012) Sunday Times The three largest private employers in that list were John Lewis Partnership, Swire Group and Alliance Boots.
See also United Kingdom labour law British company law FT 30 List of trade unions in the United Kingdom List of largest employers List of German companies by employees in 1938 List of German companies by employees in 1907 List of private equity firms List of corporate collapses and scandals
Notes