Of the 1,500 British security companies surveyed by Plimsoll Publishing, 615 reported a need to reduce staff.
Doubts are being blamed on the slowdown of the UK economy and the increase of salaries as a percentage of overall costs.
The survey covers the whole industry, and does not give any information on what sort of roles, or in what sector, there are uncertainties.
Plimsoll said the cost of wages, which already account for around 25 per cent of outgoings, could rise by four per cent in the next year. With the projected average salary then at GB pound 25,800, 41 of the companies it surveyed would be classed as “unsustainable businesses”.
However, David Pattison, a senior analyst at the research firm, said managers should avoid panicked decisions when considering job cuts.
“There is a crucial contrast between cost-cutting without any obvious focus and scaling back jobs as part of an active programme of management designed to steer the ship and keep the company competitive,” he said.
“This analysis clearly pinpoints the companies most at risk and those which are best placed to survive this period of uncertainty.”
The report does highlight encouraging signs. Jobs are being created across the sector, and 106 companies surveyed reported a need for more staff to keep on top of workloads.