ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

The British Cleaning Council (BCC) - the umbrella organisation for the UK professional cleaning and hygiene sector - has published its 2022 research report. It shows the number of sector businesses grew to 69,005 in 2021 and the number of employees working in the sector remained static at 1.47 million, according to the latest statistics available.

The number of people employed in the cleaning, hygiene and waste sector in 2021 was approximately five per cent of the UK workforce, ensuring the industry remains one of the top 10 biggest in the UK, the report said.

According to the latest information available, the industry contributed £58.9 billion (€70.58 billion) to the UK economy in 2019, up from the previous year, showing that it went into the Covid-19 pandemic in robust health. All subsectors, bar landscape service activities, saw a year-on-year growth in turnover up to 2021.

The report recorded that turnover in the sector increased by 22 per cent from 2015 to 2021, a similar figure to growth in the economy as a whole.

Sector staff had been on the frontline in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, the report also noted, with the current pressures, increased workloads and ongoing uncertainty leaving many exhausted.

The number of sector businesses grew from nearly 66,420 in 2020 but included a number of opportunistic firms which started up during the pandemic offering cleaning services.

The BCC and members have warned previously that consumers need to be wary of purchasing cleaning products and services from the rogue traders which sprang up during the pandemic to profit from public alarm about Covid-19.

The report also identifies a number of challenges facing the industry, including a record number of job vacancies. And with 27 per cent of the workforce aged over 55 years, more needs to be done to attract younger staff.

Free, digital copies of the report are available. Email: compsec@britishcleaningcouncil.org