Administration and Business Support
Reality fails to match potential in the race to secure and retain these key employees
The candidate pool:
Almost three million workers are employed in administration and business support roles across the UK economy. Working in every kind of business, these workers provide secretarial, administration, coordination, control, and operational services that help businesses maintain records, manage production, and route information throughout corporate systems. Usually requiring High School qualifications, these types of roles can provide good access to work for beginners and mid-level candidates, with large numbers of the UK’s total workforce of more than 33 million people as possible job contenders.
Shortage or surplus?
Despite the relatively large number of potential candidates, which gives a typical supply/demand ratio of 3 out of 10 for permanent and temporary roles (indicating moderate to very high supply against demand and in favour of employers) and it taking an average of only 27 days to fill vacancies, according to the ONS, 12.4% of businesses state that they cannot secure the admin and business support staff they need.
Why is this?
Low average pay for permanent and temporary workers – particularly in South East and South West.
Supply/demand ratios tighten as the posting becomes more specific – with the final talent pool estimated at 190 candidates per posting (National) for permanent roles and 115 for temporary roles*, mainly clustered in London and the South East and more thinly spread across the regions. (*Indeed.com)
Moderate supply does not provide a bonanza of candidates by the time salary offer, job location, and working conditions (hybrid or not, etc) are factored in.
What can businesses do to boost their attraction and retention rates?
Increase salary offers
Provide flexible working conditions, including fully remote to offset regional disparities
Offer training to provide path to career development
Offer apprenticeships to grow needed talent from within
Consider relocation subsidies to attract talent away from the South East
Administration and Business Support (ABS) employees work across many sectors of the UK economy, in every region and in a wide variety of roles. The following information below illustrates hiring difficulty, salaries, and the skills and credentials that UK employers are seeking for popular sample roles within the wider ABS industries – permanent and temporary hiring.
ACROSS THE UKAdministration & Business Support Permanent Roles (scroll to view)
Sample role
Executive ClericalAdmin Assistants
Annual salary range for these roles
£14,700 (below market)£21,229 (market median)£28,600 (above market)
Hiring difficulty
Less difficult - (scores 2 out of 10) - average job posting: 35 days
Supply vs Demand
Moderate – (scores 3 out of 10) – market favours employer
Top 3 titles in job postings
Executive AssistantPersonal AssistantAdmin Assistant
Top 3 skills in job postings
CommunicationExecutive supportDetail orientated
Top 3 credentials in job postings
Driver’s licenseFirst aid certificationSecurity clearance
Most common experience level
Mid-level (3 -7 years)
Most common education level
Bachelors Degree (93%)
ACROSS THE UKAdministration & Business Support Temporary Roles (scroll to view)
Administration/Clerical
£17,821 (below market)£23,998 (market median)£38,251 (above market)
Less difficult - (scores 1 out of 10) - average job posting: 35 days
Very high – (scores 1 out of 10) – market favours employer
Administrator OfficerAdministratorManager
CommunicationDetail orientatedMonitoring
Driver’s licenseAssociation of Accounting Technicians Security clearance
Bachelor’s Degree (100%)
Average regional median salaries, and the rate of supply and demand for employees – permanent and temporary hires – Administration and Business Support roles.
Sample roles:
Executive Clerical
Executive Admin Assistants
Administration & Clerical
Not surprisingly, Greater London is the most expensive area for permanent and temporary employees, reflecting elevated compensation scales in the capital and a reduced supply of candidates per vacancy.This provides sharp contrast to the South West, where despite low candidate supply, compensation rates for temporary admin workers remain reduced. This may reflect a lower demand for short-term hires driven by the reduced industrial and higher agrarian mix of businesses within the region.
Median salaries, and the rate of supply and demand for employees in selected UK cities– permanent and temporary hires – Administration and Business Support roles.
At the extremes:
Highest permanent salary in the UK: London £37,437 p.a. Lowest permanent salary in the UK: Reading £19,840 p.aHighest temporary salary in the UK: London £28,389 p.a. Lowest temporary salary in the UK: Reading £19,000 p.a
