The UK PR industry has grown by more than £2bn in the past two years, according to a Census published by PRWeek in partnership with the PRCA.
The Census, which will be examined in more detail by PRWeek tomorrow, shows that the industry is expected to be worth £9.62bn this year, up from its £7.5bn level two years ago.
Despite the economic challenges, headcount is also slightly up with 62,000 people employed within the industry this year.
This compares to an estimated 61,600 headcount in 2011, as productivity rises from £121,753 to £155,162 per head – a boost of more than £30,000 per employee on average.
This has led to bigger rewards for PR agency staffers with salaries increasing to an industry average of just under £54,000, up £5,500 from two years ago.
Overall, optimism within the industry has risen, with the industry confident of a boost in revenues and staffing numbers following half a decade of economic decline. Some 77 per cent of agency staff forecast increased revenues and 76 per cent expected a rise in head count.