Category: Media releases

The fourth survey of labour market intelligence for the archaeological profession has been published.

Archaeology Labour Market Intelligence: Profiling the Profession 2012-13 repeats surveys previously carried out in 1997-98, 2002-3 and 2007-8, to compile a time-series dataset allowing trends to be identified with increasing confidence.

The previous survey was carried out in 2007-8, immediately before the global recession began to affect archaeological employment. The economic transformation since then has significantly affected employment in archaeology, resulting in a considerable reduction in the size of the sector.

The estimated archaeological workforce in 2012-13 was 4,792: a 30% decrease on the estimated 6,865 in 2007-8, and a 16% decrease on the estimated 5.712 in 2002-3. A further estimated 1,148 people worked as support staff, giving an estimated total of 5,940 people directly earning their living from archaeology.

The average age of a working archaeologist in 2012-13 was 42, with female archaeologists on average aged 39, and male archaeologists 44. By comparison, the average age of the whole UK workforce is 40.5.

The survey found that 46% of archaeologists were female and 54% were male. In 2007-08, the proportions were 41:59. 47% of the whole UK workforce in all occupations is female, 53% male.

Archaeology was not an ethnically diverse profession in 2012-13: 99% of working archaeologists were white. This was effectively unchanged since 2002-3, and contrasts with the entire UK workforce, of whom 13% were of black or minority ethnic origin.

The proportion of people with disabilities working in archaeology continued to be very low; 98% of archaeologists were not disabled. This was effectively unchanged over time, while 7% of the entire UK workforce are disabled.

93% of archaeologists working in the UK in 2012-13 were from the UK, 3% were from elsewhere in the EU, less than 1% were from non-EU Europe and 4% were from elsewhere in the world. This represented a relative decrease in the number of archaeologists from non-UK EU countries (5% in 2007-8), and a relative increase in the number of archaeologists from elsewhere in the world (2% in 2007-8). However, as the total number of working archaeologists had fallen considerably, the absolute number of archaeologists from outside the UK has also fallen.

Despite the reducing workforce over the last five years, slightly more employers expected their organisation to grow over the next year than expected it to shrink, with further optimistic forecasts for growth over the next three years. These expectations were noticeably more cautious than the ambitious forecasts in 2007-8.

Of 4,792 archaeologists working in the UK in 2012-13, an estimated 2,684 (56%) worked for organisations providing field investigation and research services, 1,198 (25%) providing historic environment advice, 96 (2%) providing museum and visitor services and 815 (17%) providing education and academic research. These percentages changed relatively little over the five years since 2007-8, although the percentage providing museum and visitor services decreased while that providing education and academic research rose.

545 (11%) worked for national government agencies, 485 (10%) for local government, 690 (14%) for universities, 2,812 (59%) for private sector organisations and 260 (6%) for other types of organisations such as museums or amenity bodies. Overall, there was a relative increase in the percentage of archaeologists working in the private sector since 2007-8, and a decline in those working in the public sector.

More archaeologists worked in London and the South East than in other areas, though this largely reflects the overall UK population distribution. The geographical distribution of archaeologists has not changed significantly since the first survey in 1997-8.

The survey collected detailed information on 888 archaeologists and support staff, working in 389 jobs with 236 different post titles. This represents one post title per 3.8 individuals, compared with one per 5.3 individuals in 2007-8.

On average, full-time archaeologists earned £27,814 per annum. The median archaeological salary was £26,000 (50% earned more than this, 50% less). The average salary for those employed in the private sector was £24,757. The average for all UK full-time workers was £32,700, so the average archaeologist earned 85% of the UK average – as was the case in 2007-8.

Over the five years since 2007-8 the average salary of archaeologists increased by 19% compared with the national average increase for all occupations of 20%. In 2012, 46% of archaeologists worked for organisations reporting that individual salaries had typically either fallen or remained unchanged.

Archaeologists were highly qualified, and their average level of qualification has risen over time. In 2012-13, one in five (20%) of archaeologists held a doctorate or post-doctoral qualification (12% in 2007-8), 47% held a master’s degree or higher (40% in 2007-8) and 93% a bachelor’s degree or higher (90% in 2007-8). 95% of archaeologists aged under 30 for whom qualifications data were available were graduates.

Skills gaps (skills that existing staff need but lack) and shortages (where employers cannot recruit staff with the relevant skills) were identified in both technical, archaeological skills and in generic, professional skills. The severity of these gaps and shortages was categorised as ‘significant’ (where more than 25% of respondents had identified a problem) or ‘serious’ (where more than 50% had identified a problem).

A serious skills shortage was identified in post-fieldwork analysis. Significant skills shortages were identified in fieldwork (invasive or non-invasive), artefact or ecofact conservation and information technology. Significant skills gaps were identified in post-fieldwork analysis, fieldwork (invasive or non-invasive), information technology, people management and project management.

Overall, archaeological employers demonstrated a high level of commitment to training their staff, although the level of support shown by several key indicators had declined since 2007-8. 90% of employers identified training needs for individuals and provided training for paid staff (93% in 2007-8), 46% had a formal training plan (52% in 2007-8) and 45% formally evaluated the impact of training on individuals (48% in 2007-8). 26% evaluated the impact of training on the organisation (28% in 2007-8), compared with 75% which identified needs for the organisation as a whole (76% in 2007-8).

Archaeology Labour Market Intelligence: Profiling the Profession 2012-13 is published by Landward Research Ltd, and funded by English Heritage, Historic Scotland, Cadw, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency: Built Heritage and the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Commission.

The full report may be downloaded here.

The latest State of the Archaeological Market survey shows that the development-led archaeological sector grew modestly in the nine months to December 2012. The survey, carried out by Landward Research on behalf of FAME and the IfA, was undertaken alongside the forthcoming Profiling the Profession survey, which suggests that the overall size of the archaeological sector has been consistently overestimated in previous surveys.

Staff turnover is low, and continues to be lower than previous surveys. Employers continue to report that staff leaving their employment have typically remained in archaeology.

Salaries had typically remained unchanged or risen only by inflation in 2012. However, more organisations reported salaries rising by above inflation than had been the case in April 2012.

Significant numbers of archaeological businesses have established subsidiary offices elsewhere in the UK.

Profitability is low, and average turnover decreased in 2011-12 when compared with the previous year. The majority of revenue in development-led archaeology continues to come from field investigation and post-fieldwork analysis.

Business confidence in the sector, as measured through anticipated growth, market deterioration or businesses failure, is improving. Respondents were more optimistic about retaining staff and the future state of the market than had been the case in April 2012; for the first time since January 2010, more respondents considered that market conditions would improve than thought it would deteriorate. However, the overwhelming majority of respondents expect some archaeological businesses to fail in the next year, and respondents were more negative on this point than they had been in April 2012.

The most commonly reported area of skills loss continues to be fieldwork, which has been the case since surveys began in 2009. More organisations are investing in training than are reporting that they are losing skills, although post-excavation analysis and artefact and ecofact conservation are two areas where skills are more likely to be bought in from external providers than developed through investment in training. In general, respondents were more likely to recognise skills issues affecting the archaeological profession as a whole than within their own organisations.

Since April 2012, support for the NVQ in Archaeological Practice had increased. IfA ROs and FAME members were much more likely than other archaeological organisations to have supported staff undertaking the NVQ, and were significantly more likely than others to consider doing so in the future.

The full report may be viewed here.

Following the decision of IfA Council to discontinue making compliance with minimum salary recommendations an absolute requirement of Registered Organisation status, FAME is publishing this statement to set out its position on the issue:

FAME exists to represent the views of employers and managers of archaeological organizations with the primary objective of carrying out commercially-funded and/or grant-aided archaeology.

Its objectives include

• To promote best professional practice in employment, fieldwork and publications, and archiving, and
• To promote training and professional development to improve standards within the profession

Clearly, these objectives are inseparably linked to wider aspirations of both maintaining and improving salary levels across the sector and promoting a culture of staff retention and development.

Not only are these essential for the wellbeing of our profession, but they also make sound business sense.

We welcome the IfA decision to publish indicative salary levels. We understand that there has been objection on constitutional grounds to IfA determining binding salary levels, rather than to their objective of improving pay levels within the sector.

Not all FAME members are Responsible Post-Holders in the IfA Registered Organisations (RO) scheme, and FAME cannot compel its members to meet IfA recommended salary levels. However we strongly encourage our members both to join the RO scheme and to meet IfA recommended salary levels – and we believe that most FAME members already do so.

In an unregulated market it remains difficult for archaeological practices to hold the line on recommended salary levels. The pressure to win contracts at the lowest cost drives down salaries and squeezes margins and non-salary expenditure on other essential costs such as training and development.

We propose to explore more balanced procurement models for development-led archaeology in the UK, based less on crude price-driven competition than on quality, outcome and value. We will shortly be publishing a paper on this issue.

It must also be remembered that salary forms only one part (albeit the main one) of an employment package, and it is important that any comparison of employment conditions takes fully into account the provision of other non-salary benefits.

We note that IfA Council ‘has instructed its working party, taking advice from Prospect and FAME, to develop a policy statement that sets out IfA’s belief that the problem of low pay has the potential critically to impact on professional standards and is one which the industry must take collective ownership of and accept collective responsibility for solving’, and that it must ‘engage with FAME to see what information from (IfA) would encourage or enable it to take a more proactive role in pay determination’.

Last year FAME accepted an invitation to join the IfA Salaries Working Party. It did so a spirit of constructive engagement, and to provide a voice for employers on what has in the past been seen by some of its members as a non-inclusive process. We share IfA’s aspiration to improve salary levels across the profession, and remain willing to engage with it in exploring alternative ways to achieve this objective.

The first State of the Archaeological Market survey shows a slight increase in the numbers employed in development-led archaeology in the past six months, though still significantly down on the July 2007 peak. Staff turnover was relatively low, with more staff moving between archaeological employers than leaving the profession. Employment contracts remained largely unchanged, but salaries fell in real terms. Average turnover last financial year was slightly up to around £1.2m, with a similar level projected for the current year, mostly through assessments, fieldwork and post-fieldwork analysis. However, profit margins were mainly below 5% and business confidence remains low. Many businesses have established subsidiary offices around the UK, though few plan expansion over the next twelve months. Fieldwork and post-fieldwork skills continue to be lost, and with conservation skills are those most likely to be bought in.

The new twice-yearly survey, carried out by Landward Research Ltd on behalf of FAME and the IfA, covers the period April-September 2011. It includes data from the EH/ALGAO/IHBC August 2011 report on local government staff resources, but does not take into account job losses in other areas of the sector, such as national heritage agencies, universities or museums. In the 68% of the sector for which we know the data, we have seen the deepest and longest cut in the number of archaeologists since records began.

The survey builds on the economic analysis carried out by the London School of Economics for the Southport Group, and replaces the quarterly Job Losses survey, which some FAME members found too narrow in scope.

The response rate was around 50%, with some respondents reluctant to release financial information, even though the results were anonymised. This is the first real attempt to assess the scope of the UK archaeological market, and FAME members are urged to contribute to its success by suggesting improvements to the survey and taking time to respond as fully as possible to the next one in April 2012.

The full report may be viewed here.

The latest survey of Job Losses in Archaeology shows that the rate of job losses in the sector appears to have slowed, with business confidence showing very slight signs of recovery.

The survey, carried out by Landward Research Ltd on behalf of FAME and the IfA, covers the period January-April 2011.

It shows that in the first three months of 2011 the number of archaeologists in work increased very slightly to an estimated 5863 (800 fewer than the summer 2007 peak), though further job losses in local government curatorial services are expected.

Several businesses have ceased trading, with university-based companies being particularly vulnerable. Business confidence was poor through much of 2010, but there has been a slight recovery in the first quarter of this year.

For the eighth quarter in succession, the skills needed for invasive fieldwork were those most frequently being lost.

The full report may be viewed here.

The latest survey of job losses in archaeology shows a significant fall in the number of people employed in archaeology in the second half of 2010, and a continuing decline in business confidence for 2011.

The survey, carried out by Landward Research Ltd on behalf of FAME and the IfA, covers the period July 2010-January 2011 and includes for the first time data from ALGAO on employment numbers in local government advisory services.

It shows that there are now fewer people employed in archaeology than at any time since surveys began in January 2009. The total number of 5,827 employed in the UK represents a fall of 7.6% since July 2010. Of these, 3189 work in development-led archaeology – a fall of 13.1% since July 2010 and 21% below the August 2007 peak.

The proportion of businesses expecting to maintain their current staff numbers fell sharply in the three months to October 2010, but recovered slightly in the last quarter of the year. The proportion expecting market conditions to deteriorate increased in every quarter of 2010. The overwhelming majority of businesses now expect conditions to worsen in the next year, and most expect some archaeological practices to cease trading.

For the seventh quarter in succession, the skills needed to conduct and contribute to invasive field investigation were reported as those most frequently being lost.

The full report may be viewed here.

The latest survey of job losses in archaeology shows a slight increase in the number of people in archaeological employment over the three months from April to June 2010, but a significant decline in business confidence for the forthcoming year.

The report, carried out by Landward Research Ltd on behalf of FAME and the IfA, estimates that around 6,500 people were working in professional archaeology in July 2010, an increase of 4.3% on the previous quarter. Around 3,700 were working in development-led archaeology, an increase of 7.8% on the previous quarter but still 9% below the August 2007 peak.

The proportion of businesses expecting to maintain their current staff numbers fell,  with the proportion expecting market conditions to deteriorate rising significantly. Unlike at the start of 2010, most businesses expected conditions to worsen in the next twelve months, with the overwhelming majority expecting some archaeological practices to cease trading.

Even though some employers found it difficult to recruit fieldworkers, for the fifth quarter in succession the skills needed to conduct and contribute to invasive field investigation were reported as those most frequently being lost.

The full report may be viewed here.

The Federation of Archaeological Managers and Employers (FAME) has warned that in many parts of the country there is no museum space to store and preserve important finds discovered by archaeological teams.

The building boom of the last two decades has been matched by a massive increase in the number of archaeological discoveries resulting from development. And new government guidance requires developers to record and publish the results of digs – and deposit the findings in a local museum.

However, in many parts of the country, crammed and overstretched local museums are refusing to accept any more finds. They include museums in Cambridgeshire, Kent, Northamptonshire, Sheffield and many other areas. And local government cutbacks are likely to place even more pressure on staff and facilities.

As a result, archaeology units are reaching bursting point with finds and records which are hidden from the public and unable to find a permanent home. It is estimated that the country’s leading practices may be storing over 15,000 boxes of archaeological finds and records on 5,000 sites, at an annual cost of perhaps £0.25m – because no museum is willing or able to accept them. This is a major museum collection in its own right.

FAME Chief Executive Adrian Tindall said “This problem has been twenty years in the making. We would like to work with local museums and the Heritage Lottery Fund to set up resource centres, so that the public can see important local discoveries. But we must also look more carefully at whether keeping everything we find is really sustainable. For too long we have assumed that all finds must be kept, in case they’re needed for future research. Whilst this might occasionally be justified, we need to concentrate much more on the public benefit of what we keep.”

FAME Chairman Roland Smith added “It’s so important that the findings of archaeological digs are made available to the general public. This crisis is denying local communities, the wider general public and researchers the opportunity to see and learn from the discoveries that are being made in the towns and countryside in which they live.

Archaeological practices do not operate as museums. At the moment they have no alternative but to hold this material, but in the long term there is a risk to these collections if museums – who have the appropriate expertise – are unable to find suitable space for them”.

Editors note

The Federation of Archaeological Managers and Employers represents around 50 archaeological employers in the UK, who together employ one in three of the archaeological workforce.  For further information, contact

Adrian Tindall, Chief Executive T: 01284 767681 M: 07715 050318 E: info@planforthepast.co.uk

Roland Smith, Chairman T: 01722 326867 M: 07775 501925 E: r.smith@wessexarch.co.uk