Defining the Photo Imaging industry
The Photo Imaging industry is made up of nearly 14,000 companies, almost half of which are sole trading or freelance photographers.
The remaining companies can be broadly divided into the following categories:
- Image producers (including laboratories and minilabs)
- Photo retail
- Picture libraries and agencies
- Manufacturers
- Support services (e.g. equipment hire and repair)
Across the industry as a whole, 93% of companies employ 5 people or fewer.
The total workforce comprises around 44,000 people. Half of these are based in the south of England, with the largest proportion - some 40% - in London and the South East. The rest of the workforce is spread throughout Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the remaining regions of England, with the highest concentrations in the North West (12%) and the South West (11%).
For more information on our research work, please visit Skillset's Research pages.