LONDON: The government’s Business Population Estimates also show that the number of businesses that employ people has grown for the second year running, with the count 35,000 higher at the start of 2015 than at the beginning of 2014.
There has been an uptick in the number of medium-sized businesses (which employ 50 – 249 people) with 1,000 more of these at the start of 2015 than at the same point in 2014. SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) make up the vast majority of the UK’s total business population, accounting for 99.9 per cent of the country’s 5.4 million companies.
Companies with no employees accounted for three quarters of the the total growth in the number of businesses, which was up 146,000 year-on-year altogether.
Business Minister Anna Soubry said, “It’s fantastic news there are now a record number of businesses in the UK, creating jobs and ensuring our country’s economic security.
Our long-term economic plan has helped create the conditions for businesses to start, grow and flourish.
But with risks in the global economy, this government is determined to continue to back our businesses and grow our economy.”
