The IPA’s annual survey of employment trends in media, advertising and marketing agencies, published today, shows a 7% increase in overall employee numbers, a 12.2% rise in digital roles, a 23.6% increase in black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) representation, a 31.4% increase in first year-trainees, and evidence that agencies are adopting “flexible” working practices.
The census reveals that the total number of employees in IPA member agencies is now 23,231 with an even male/female split (up from 21,715 in 2013), marking the fifth year of consecutive growth.
The employed base in creative and other non-media agencies has grown by 2% to 14,885, while in media agencies it has grown by 17.2% to 8,346. 5% of employees are in senior management positions – 25.6% of which are women – up from 22.2% in 2013.
8.6% of the total employed base is in a digital role, excluding search, compared to 7.5% in 2013.
While still dominated by men in general, women are taking on more digital roles. Their representation in digital creative roles stands at 27%, up from 15% in 2013, while digital programming and web design stands at 17%, up from 10% in 2013.
There are now 3,015 BAME employees in IPA member agencies, accounting for 13% of the total employed base, up from 11.2% in 2013 and from 8.2% in 2008.
The estimated number of first-year trainees in member firms increased year-on-year from 793 to 929, with the vast majority of these (79.6%) being in media agencies. The number of apprentices increased from 38 to 57 and the number of interns increased from 353 to 412 year-on-year.
An estimated 1,639 individuals, 7.1% of the employed base, work for their agencies on a part-time basis, up from 1,100 in 2013, while an estimated 410 individuals, 1.8% of the employed base, work for their agencies at home on a regular basis, up from 219 in 2013. This suggests that more agencies are adopting flexible working practices.
The average age of employees is 33.6.
“With overall staffing levels up, the number of people from BAME backgrounds up, and with the number of women in executive management positions on the rise, the 2014 Census paints a positive picture as we move into 2015,” said Paul Bainsfair, IPA director general.
“If we are to maximise our commercial creativity it will be essential to continue to grow, nurture and retain this diverse talent.”
Tom Lewis, IPA finance director, added: “The headline growth in agency numbers reflects the continued positive news from our Bellwether survey; a significant proportion of the growth comes from media and digital – trading desks in particular – so this is clearly an area where agencies need to ensure they have the right strategies and the right people in place.
“Agencies’ confidence in the economic outlook is also reflected in the relative increase in the number of employees versus freelancers.”
