| In the context of other sectors, the project profession remains a key contributor to economic output in the UK.
Professional and business services are the largest contributors to project management GVA and FTEs, representing a quarter of GVA and roughly a third of FTEs. Traditional project management industries like construction have also shown growth. Construction GVA grew from £27 billion in 2019 to £33 billion, while FTEs increased to just under 300 thousand from c.260 thousand in 2019.
There's been notable growth in less historically traditional project management sectors, like IT and technology, where GVA and FTEs have roughly doubled since the last study.
While the UK economy continues to face challenging market conditions, our research shows that the profession remains optimistic for the future.
52% of 567 businesses surveyed predicted growth in project based activity and 44% predicted an increase in average project budgets, both more optimistic than the 2019 study.
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"When I speak to peers within the industry, I think there is collective agreement that project management is the engine that drives the UK economy. I am also not surprised that the number of project professionals in the transport sector has increased as more people are seeing it as a profession of choice."
Tim Bolam
Vice President Project Delivery, DHL Supply Chain