This industry includes:

• the red and white meat industries, auction and slaughter of livestock
• cutting, processing and manufacturing of meat and meat products

There are an estimated 70,366 people employed in the UK sector, in approximately 895 businesses.  21% of employees work part-time.  4% of the workforce is temporary or causal. 

Semi and unskilled operatives account for nearly 60% of staff employed, skilled manual or craft level workers 19%, managers 8%, supervisors 6% and clerical/administration 7%.  42,000 people are skilled butchers and meat cutters, but have an ageing population.  There are a high proportion of young workers employed in abattoirs.  Continued growth in supermarket employment and in manufacturing is predicted.

Two-thirds of the workforce are male and 6% are from ethnic minority backgrounds.

26% of employers in the meat and poultry industry expect an increase in their workforce size over the next year.  Companies are most likely to increase the number of craft workers and operatives.  Less than 10% expect to increase the number of managers they employ.

19% of meat establishments in England reported that they had hard-to-fill or skill-shortage vacancies.  33% of those who reported vacancies state that they have skill shortage vacancies. 

77% of workers in the meat processing industry do not have a qualification higher than Level 2, compared with 75% in the UK meat industry.  Only 7% of workers in the industry are qualified to Level 4 or higher, compared with 8% in the UK.

More than 40% of businesses in the industry recruited in the last year.  Recruiting levels are particularly high in the mass production end of the market.  Sector organisations have reported recruitment difficulties for the following occupational roles:

• skilled butchers
• operatives
• trainees
• other skilled/technical staff
• supervisors
• retail staff 
• managers and directors

Source: Improve website 2006, At a Glance – England 2005, Improve Market Assessment 2004, Labour Force Survey 2004, Annual Business Inquiry 2003 and  Meat Training Council 1999

For more data and regional figures on the meat and poultry industry go to the Improve website.

For more information about S/NVQ qualifications in the sector go to the Meat Training Industry website.