The employment in the Waste Collection sector in the UK has shown significant fluctuations over the past decade. In 2013, the employment stood at 46.47 thousand full-time equivalents (FTE) with a year-on-year decrease of 6.76%. There was a noteworthy increase from 2014 to 2016, peaking at a year-on-year growth of 13.79% in 2016. Employment numbers continued to rise steadily, with minor drops in 2017 and 2019, but overall a significant upward trend to 2023 where it reached 72.87 thousand FTE.
Recent years have seen consistent but moderate year-on-year growth: 2.52% in 2022 and 2.41% in 2023. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the last five years has been 1.92%. Looking forward, forecasts predict an increase to 80.95 thousand FTE by 2028, with a projected 5-year CAGR of 1.66%, indicating more stable, albeit slower, growth compared to the previous decade.
Future trends to watch for include the impact of technological advancements and automation on employment numbers, potential regulatory changes, and evolving environmental policies, which may significantly influence demand in the waste collection sector.
