A decade-high number of organizations outsourced their lobbying efforts last year, underscoring the importance of K Street as more groups look to influence the federal government.
More than 13,000 organizations contracted out at least some of their federal lobbying work to outside firms in 2022, according to LegiStorm data. That's the most since 2009, when 13,600 organizations turned to external lobbying groups. The number of lobbying clients has grown steadily since 2016, when a quarter fewer (9,600) organizations hired lobbying firms.
First-time lobbying clients have driven much of that growth. But an increased number of organizations that employ their own in-house lobbying teams are also choosing to diversify their efforts by contracting out some of their lobbying work to outside firms.
Despite K Street's growth, the number of organizations with in-house lobbying teams has remained relatively stagnant - Only 2,700 organizations employed their own in-house lobbying teams last year, compared to 2,500 a decade before.
