With the decline Edward Jones fell out of the top spot, with LPL Financial taking over as the leading broker by headcount. LPL’s ranks jumped to 19,114 at the end of Q1, thanks, in part, to acquisitions.
Edward Jones had seen its headcount growing at about a 6% clip prior to COVID-19, but it paused hiring early in 2020. It resumed hiring in September 2020 but has lagged since.