UK beauty sector forecast to create more than 50,000 new jobs

The UK beauty and hair sector is set to add more than 50,000 jobs to the country’s economy in the next year, according to a new report.

The annual Beautiful Britain report from hair and beauty supplier Sally Salon Services revealed that 99% of salons and barbershops plans to maintain current employee levels or recruit additional members of staff in the next 12 months, creating 16,738 new jobs.

More than half, 58%, also plan to take on at least one apprentice, equating to a further 31,188 positions.

The anticipated recruitment boom is part of an upward trajectory for the sector, with 40% of beauty and hair businesses reporting an increase in turnover in 2016, and 42% seeing a rise in customer numbers.

Customer spend has also risen, with female clients now spending an average of £994 on treatments ever year, up £118 compared to the 2016 report.

Male clients are spending on average £779 annually on treatments, a £68 rise on last year. Men now constitute one in five of all beauty and hair customers and 63% of salons reported an increase in male customers last year.

The strong growth figures are reflected in positive attitudes within the industry. The report, which surveyed more than 2,500 hair and beauty professionals and 2,000 consumers across the UK, found that 86% of businesses felt 2016 had been a good year for them.

This is a 10% rise on the figure in last year’s report. The majority, 64%, also said they felt more positive about the coming year than they did 12 months ago. Warren Scarr, managing director and group vice president of Sally Salon Services in the UK & Ireland, said:

“This is a fantastic time for hair and beauty professionals to be working in the industry, and based on this year’s Beautiful Britain findings there is much to be excited about for the year ahead.”