UK payrolled employees: mining and quarrying
UK payrolled employees: mining and quarrying stood at 41,842 people in Aug 2026, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS). It is one of the indicators in the Pay and employment from PAYE table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Jul 2014 to Aug 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Pay and employment from PAYE table
| Indicator | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payrolled employees by industry | |||||||||||
| B — Mining and quarrying | 41,842 | 42,170 | 42,230 | 42,367 | 42,488 | 42,697 | 42,818 | 42,988 | 42,800 | 43,058 | |
| C — Manufacturing | 2,280,916 | 2,289,290 | 2,289,379 | 2,291,042 | 2,290,830 | 2,293,247 | 2,296,948 | 2,298,799 | 2,301,191 | 2,303,822 |
Understanding UK payrolled employees: mining and quarrying
This metric records the total number of individuals in the United Kingdom employed on formal payrolls within the mining and quarrying sector. The enumeration covers extraction workers, site operators, and administrative personnel whose wages are reported through employer tax filings, omitting independent contractors and unincorporated partnerships. Compared with broader industrial measures, this series focuses exclusively on the extraction of minerals and energy materials from the earth.
When analysing these figures, users must account for capital-intensive operational shifts where technological upgrades alter headcount independently of output levels. Revisions to early monthly releases typically reflect delayed administrative reporting from remote extraction sites. Year-on-year comparisons provide a clearer view of industry trajectory than consecutive monthly figures, which can be distorted by temporary project completions or maintenance shutdowns.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this series cover oil and gas extraction activities in offshore waters?
- Offshore extraction personnel registered through United Kingdom payroll systems are included in the geographical scope of this sectoral measure.
- Are independent engineering contractors counted within this mining metric?
- Contractors operating as limited companies and paying themselves via dividends rather than PAYE wages are omitted from the headcount.
- Why might employment counts remain stable while extraction output fluctuates?
- Mines often rely heavily on automation, meaning production volumes can rise or fall without a proportional change in the number of payroll employees.