UK call centre growth continues

Job creation will continue in the call centre sector, says the report.

The UK call centre industry is continuing to grow, even though firms are transferring work to overseas countries, a research firm has said.

The number of staff in British call centres has reached 435,000 and will increase to almost 500,000 over the next four years, Datamonitor said.

It predicted that the number of call centres would rise from 5,980 to 7,320.

Growth is particularly likely in public sector organisations and in health care, the study concluded.

"Given its maturity, the UK call centre industry could appear a daunting challenge for new entrants," said Peter Ryan, author of the report.

"However, there will be excellent opportunities in specific niche areas and particular industry groups, for example, the public and healthcare sectors."

"Success in the UK call centre industry will mean concentrating on developing offerings for smaller centres," he added.