624K
Aug 2026 (latest)
BUSINESS SUPPORT JOBS (CALL CENTERS)
employees, thousands, seasonally adjusted · 1990–2026 · higher is better · BLS Current Employment Statistics, via FRED CES6056140001
763K
Nov 2022
885K
high · Jan 2019
624K
low · Aug 2026
−18%
since Nov 2022
┊ on the monthly chart the dashed line marks ChatGPT released (Nov 30, 2022); on the annual views, 1991 Gulf War recession · 2001 Dot-com bust & 9/11 · 2008 Global financial crisis · 2020 COVID-19 pandemic
Method & caveats. All employees in Business Support Services (NAICS 5614), which contains telephone call centers, document preparation, and collection agencies — routine office work often named as exposed to automation. Monthly, seasonally adjusted, from January 1990. The decline predates 2022 (884.6 thousand in January 2019). Annual figure is the twelve-month average.
Sources
Every value on this page is read from the publisher below. Current and historical source documents:
- https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CES6056140001
- https://github.com/danielmiessler/substrate/tree/main/Data/US-Employment-And-Jobs
Monthly data
The publisher's own cadence, every period. The annual table below is derived from these values (annual average); the annual figures are what the almanac pages and the machine-readable exports carry.
| Period | Business Support Jobs (Call Centers) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | 624K | −0% |
| Jul 2026 | 626K | −0% |
| Jun 2026 | 627K | −0% |
| May 2026 | 628K | −0% |
| Apr 2026 | 629K | −0% |
| Mar 2026 | 630K | +0% |
| Feb 2026 | 629K | −1% |
| Jan 2026 | 633K | −1% |
| Dec 2025 | 636K | −0% |
| Nov 2025 | 638K | −1% |
| Oct 2025 | 643K | +0% |
| Sep 2025 | 643K | −0% |
| Aug 2025 | 644K | −1% |
| Jul 2025 | 650K | −1% |
| Jun 2025 | 654K | −1% |
| May 2025 | 659K | −0% |
| Apr 2025 | 662K | −0% |
| Mar 2025 | 664K | −0% |
| Feb 2025 | 666K | −0% |
| Jan 2025 | 666K | −1% |
| Dec 2024 | 672K | −1% |
| Nov 2024 | 676K | −0% |
| Oct 2024 | 679K | −1% |
| Sep 2024 | 684K | −1% |
| Aug 2024 | 689K | −0% |
| Jul 2024 | 690K | −0% |
| Jun 2024 | 693K | −0% |
| May 2024 | 695K | −0% |
| Apr 2024 | 698K | −1% |
| Mar 2024 | 703K | −1% |
| Feb 2024 | 708K | −1% |
| Jan 2024 | 713K | −1% |
| Dec 2023 | 718K | +0% |
| Nov 2023 | 717K | −1% |
| Oct 2023 | 724K | −1% |
| Sep 2023 | 731K | −1% |
| Aug 2023 | 736K | −1% |
| Jul 2023 | 745K | −0% |
| Jun 2023 | 747K | −0% |
| May 2023 | 750K | −0% |
| Apr 2023 | 752K | −0% |
| Mar 2023 | 753K | −1% |
| Feb 2023 | 757K | −1% |
| Jan 2023 | 762K | +0% |
| Dec 2022 | 762K | −0% |
| Nov 2022 | 763K | −1% |
| Oct 2022 | 769K | −1% |
| Sep 2022 | 776K | −1% |
| Aug 2022 | 784K | −1% |
| Jul 2022 | 788K | −1% |
| Jun 2022 | 796K | −1% |
| May 2022 | 803K | −0% |
| Apr 2022 | 806K | −0% |
| Mar 2022 | 806K | −2% |
| Feb 2022 | 822K | +0% |
| Jan 2022 | 820K | +0% |
| Dec 2021 | 820K | −1% |
| Nov 2021 | 825K | +2% |
| Oct 2021 | 812K | −0% |
| Sep 2021 | 813K | +0% |
| Aug 2021 | 810K | −0% |
| Jul 2021 | 810K | +0% |
| Jun 2021 | 807K | −1% |
| May 2021 | 813K | +1% |
| Apr 2021 | 804K | −2% |
| Mar 2021 | 823K | +0% |
| Feb 2021 | 822K | −0% |
| Jan 2021 | 823K | −0% |
| Dec 2020 | 824K | +0% |
| Nov 2020 | 820K | +1% |
| Oct 2020 | 814K | +1% |
| Sep 2020 | 809K | +1% |
| Aug 2020 | 801K | +1% |
| Jul 2020 | 792K | +1% |
| Jun 2020 | 786K | +2% |
| May 2020 | 772K | −0% |
| Apr 2020 | 774K | −10% |
| Mar 2020 | 859K | −0% |
| Feb 2020 | 863K | −0% |
| Jan 2020 | 866K | +0% |
| Dec 2019 | 866K | −0% |
| Nov 2019 | 866K | +0% |
| Oct 2019 | 866K | −0% |
| Sep 2019 | 869K | −1% |
| Aug 2019 | 873K | −1% |
| Jul 2019 | 880K | −0% |
| Jun 2019 | 882K | −0% |
| May 2019 | 883K | +0% |
| Apr 2019 | 881K | +0% |
| Mar 2019 | 880K | −0% |
| Feb 2019 | 883K | −0% |
| Jan 2019 | 885K | −1% |
| Dec 2018 | 889K | −0% |
| Nov 2018 | 893K | −0% |
| Oct 2018 | 896K | −0% |
| Sep 2018 | 896K | +0% |
| Aug 2018 | 896K | +0% |
| Jul 2018 | 893K | +0% |
| Jun 2018 | 893K | +0% |
| May 2018 | 892K | −0% |
| Apr 2018 | 895K | −0% |
| Mar 2018 | 899K | −0% |
| Feb 2018 | 899K | −0% |
| Jan 2018 | 901K | +0% |
| Dec 2017 | 898K | −0% |
| Nov 2017 | 899K | −0% |
| Oct 2017 | 901K | +0% |
| Sep 2017 | 900K | −0% |
| Aug 2017 | 903K | −0% |
| Jul 2017 | 904K | +0% |
| Jun 2017 | 902K | −1% |
| May 2017 | 907K | −0% |
| Apr 2017 | 908K | −0% |
| Mar 2017 | 910K | −0% |
| Feb 2017 | 910K | −0% |
| Jan 2017 | 911K | −0% |
| Dec 2016 | 914K | −0% |
| Nov 2016 | 917K | −0% |
| Oct 2016 | 918K | −0% |
| Sep 2016 | 919K | +0% |
| Aug 2016 | 917K | +0% |
| Jul 2016 | 916K | +0% |
| Jun 2016 | 915K | +0% |
| May 2016 | 910K | +0% |
| Apr 2016 | 907K | +0% |
| Mar 2016 | 904K | +0% |
| Feb 2016 | 901K | −0% |
| Jan 2016 | 903K | +1% |
| Dec 2015 | 898K | −0% |
| Nov 2015 | 900K | +0% |
| Oct 2015 | 898K | +0% |
| Sep 2015 | 894K | +0% |
| Aug 2015 | 893K | +0% |
| Jul 2015 | 891K | −0% |
| Jun 2015 | 893K | −1% |
| May 2015 | 901K | +0% |
| Apr 2015 | 897K | +1% |
| Mar 2015 | 893K | −0% |
| Feb 2015 | 895K | +0% |
| Jan 2015 | 891K | −0% |
| Dec 2014 | 891K | +1% |
| Nov 2014 | 883K | +0% |
| Oct 2014 | 881K | −0% |
| Sep 2014 | 882K | +0% |
| Aug 2014 | 879K | −0% |
| Jul 2014 | 881K | +0% |
| Jun 2014 | 880K | +0% |
| May 2014 | 878K | +0% |
| Apr 2014 | 877K | −0% |
| Mar 2014 | 877K | +0% |
| Feb 2014 | 876K | +0% |
| Jan 2014 | 875K | +0% |
| Dec 2013 | 871K | −0% |
| Nov 2013 | 876K | +1% |
| Oct 2013 | 870K | +0% |
| Sep 2013 | 868K | +0% |
| Aug 2013 | 864K | +0% |
| Jul 2013 | 863K | +0% |
| Jun 2013 | 861K | +1% |
| May 2013 | 856K | +1% |
| Apr 2013 | 850K | +1% |
| Mar 2013 | 841K | −0% |
| Feb 2013 | 842K | +1% |
| Jan 2013 | 838K | +0% |
| Dec 2012 | 837K | +0% |
| Nov 2012 | 835K | −0% |
| Oct 2012 | 837K | +0% |
| Sep 2012 | 834K | +0% |
| Aug 2012 | 833K | +0% |
| Jul 2012 | 830K | +0% |
| Jun 2012 | 827K | +0% |
| May 2012 | 826K | +0% |
| Apr 2012 | 825K | −0% |
| Mar 2012 | 826K | −0% |
| Feb 2012 | 827K | −1% |
| Jan 2012 | 831K | +1% |
| Dec 2011 | 824K | +1% |
| Nov 2011 | 819K | +0% |
| Oct 2011 | 816K | +0% |
| Sep 2011 | 816K | −0% |
| Aug 2011 | 817K | +0% |
| Jul 2011 | 816K | −0% |
| Jun 2011 | 818K | +0% |
| May 2011 | 816K | −0% |
| Apr 2011 | 817K | +0% |
| Mar 2011 | 814K | +0% |
| Feb 2011 | 813K | +0% |
| Jan 2011 | 812K | +0% |
| Dec 2010 | 810K | −0% |
| Nov 2010 | 813K | +0% |
| Oct 2010 | 813K | +0% |
| Sep 2010 | 810K | −0% |
| Aug 2010 | 813K | −0% |
| Jul 2010 | 813K | +0% |
| Jun 2010 | 809K | +0% |
| May 2010 | 809K | +0% |
| Apr 2010 | 808K | −0% |
| Mar 2010 | 808K | +0% |
| Feb 2010 | 808K | −0% |
| Jan 2010 | 812K | −0% |
| Dec 2009 | 814K | −1% |
| Nov 2009 | 820K | +0% |
| Oct 2009 | 816K | −0% |
| Sep 2009 | 817K | +0% |
| Aug 2009 | 814K | −0% |
| Jul 2009 | 815K | −0% |
| Jun 2009 | 815K | −1% |
| May 2009 | 822K | −0% |
| Apr 2009 | 826K | −1% |
| Mar 2009 | 831K | −0% |
| Feb 2009 | 831K | −1% |
| Jan 2009 | 840K | +0% |
| Dec 2008 | 836K | −0% |
| Nov 2008 | 838K | +0% |
| Oct 2008 | 837K | +0% |
| Sep 2008 | 836K | +0% |
| Aug 2008 | 832K | −0% |
| Jul 2008 | 834K | +0% |
| Jun 2008 | 834K | −0% |
| May 2008 | 835K | −0% |
| Apr 2008 | 836K | +0% |
| Mar 2008 | 833K | +0% |
| Feb 2008 | 832K | +0% |
| Jan 2008 | 829K | −0% |
| Dec 2007 | 829K | +1% |
| Nov 2007 | 823K | +0% |
| Oct 2007 | 820K | −1% |
| Sep 2007 | 826K | +0% |
| Aug 2007 | 825K | +0% |
| Jul 2007 | 825K | +1% |
| Jun 2007 | 820K | +0% |
| May 2007 | 817K | +1% |
| Apr 2007 | 813K | +0% |
| Mar 2007 | 812K | −0% |
| Feb 2007 | 812K | +0% |
| Jan 2007 | 811K | +0% |
| Dec 2006 | 809K | −0% |
| Nov 2006 | 810K | +0% |
| Oct 2006 | 807K | +1% |
| Sep 2006 | 803K | +1% |
| Aug 2006 | 798K | +0% |
| Jul 2006 | 796K | +0% |
| Jun 2006 | 795K | +0% |
| May 2006 | 791K | +0% |
| Apr 2006 | 788K | +0% |
| Mar 2006 | 784K | +0% |
| Feb 2006 | 780K | +1% |
| Jan 2006 | 776K | +1% |
| Dec 2005 | 765K | −0% |
| Nov 2005 | 768K | +0% |
| Oct 2005 | 767K | −1% |
| Sep 2005 | 777K | +1% |
| Aug 2005 | 772K | +0% |
| Jul 2005 | 770K | +0% |
| Jun 2005 | 769K | −0% |
| May 2005 | 769K | +0% |
| Apr 2005 | 769K | +0% |
| Mar 2005 | 766K | −0% |
| Feb 2005 | 767K | +1% |
| Jan 2005 | 760K | −1% |
| Dec 2004 | 766K | +0% |
| Nov 2004 | 765K | +0% |
| Oct 2004 | 765K | +1% |
| Sep 2004 | 760K | −1% |
| Aug 2004 | 764K | −0% |
| Jul 2004 | 766K | −0% |
| Jun 2004 | 767K | +1% |
| May 2004 | 760K | +1% |
| Apr 2004 | 756K | +0% |
| Mar 2004 | 754K | +1% |
| Feb 2004 | 747K | +0% |
| Jan 2004 | 744K | −1% |
| Dec 2003 | 752K | −0% |
| Nov 2003 | 756K | −0% |
| Oct 2003 | 757K | −0% |
| Sep 2003 | 758K | +1% |
| Aug 2003 | 753K | +1% |
| Jul 2003 | 748K | −0% |
| Jun 2003 | 748K | −0% |
| May 2003 | 749K | +0% |
| Apr 2003 | 749K | +0% |
| Mar 2003 | 748K | −0% |
| Feb 2003 | 749K | +0% |
| Jan 2003 | 749K | −1% |
| Dec 2002 | 757K | +0% |
| Nov 2002 | 756K | +1% |
| Oct 2002 | 748K | +1% |
| Sep 2002 | 741K | −0% |
| Aug 2002 | 744K | −1% |
| Jul 2002 | 748K | +0% |
| Jun 2002 | 747K | −2% |
| May 2002 | 759K | −1% |
| Apr 2002 | 767K | −1% |
| Mar 2002 | 773K | −0% |
| Feb 2002 | 777K | −0% |
| Jan 2002 | 780K | +0% |
| Dec 2001 | 777K | −0% |
| Nov 2001 | 779K | +0% |
| Oct 2001 | 776K | −0% |
| Sep 2001 | 779K | −1% |
| Aug 2001 | 783K | +0% |
| Jul 2001 | 782K | +0% |
| Jun 2001 | 781K | −0% |
| May 2001 | 782K | +0% |
| Apr 2001 | 781K | −0% |
| Mar 2001 | 781K | −0% |
| Feb 2001 | 785K | −0% |
| Jan 2001 | 789K | +0% |
| Dec 2000 | 787K | −0% |
| Nov 2000 | 788K | −0% |
| Oct 2000 | 792K | −0% |
| Sep 2000 | 795K | +0% |
| Aug 2000 | 793K | +0% |
| Jul 2000 | 791K | +0% |
| Jun 2000 | 789K | +0% |
| May 2000 | 786K | +0% |
| Apr 2000 | 786K | +0% |
| Mar 2000 | 786K | +0% |
| Feb 2000 | 784K | +0% |
| Jan 2000 | 781K | +0% |
| Dec 1999 | 779K | +0% |
| Nov 1999 | 779K | −0% |
| Oct 1999 | 781K | −0% |
| Sep 1999 | 782K | −0% |
| Aug 1999 | 783K | −0% |
| Jul 1999 | 785K | −0% |
| Jun 1999 | 787K | +0% |
| May 1999 | 784K | +0% |
| Apr 1999 | 783K | +0% |
| Mar 1999 | 781K | +0% |
| Feb 1999 | 780K | −0% |
| Jan 1999 | 780K | −1% |
| Dec 1998 | 785K | +0% |
| Nov 1998 | 785K | +0% |
| Oct 1998 | 783K | +1% |
| Sep 1998 | 774K | −0% |
| Aug 1998 | 777K | +0% |
| Jul 1998 | 775K | +0% |
| Jun 1998 | 772K | +0% |
| May 1998 | 770K | +0% |
| Apr 1998 | 767K | +0% |
| Mar 1998 | 767K | +0% |
| Feb 1998 | 764K | +0% |
| Jan 1998 | 763K | +1% |
| Dec 1997 | 757K | +1% |
| Nov 1997 | 753K | +1% |
| Oct 1997 | 750K | +0% |
| Sep 1997 | 747K | +1% |
| Aug 1997 | 742K | +0% |
| Jul 1997 | 741K | +1% |
| Jun 1997 | 737K | +1% |
| May 1997 | 730K | +1% |
| Apr 1997 | 723K | +1% |
| Mar 1997 | 718K | +1% |
| Feb 1997 | 714K | +1% |
| Jan 1997 | 709K | +1% |
| Dec 1996 | 703K | +1% |
| Nov 1996 | 697K | +1% |
| Oct 1996 | 690K | +1% |
| Sep 1996 | 683K | −1% |
| Aug 1996 | 687K | +1% |
| Jul 1996 | 679K | +1% |
| Jun 1996 | 675K | +1% |
| May 1996 | 671K | −1% |
| Apr 1996 | 675K | +0% |
| Mar 1996 | 673K | +1% |
| Feb 1996 | 665K | +1% |
| Jan 1996 | 660K | +1% |
| Dec 1995 | 656K | +0% |
| Nov 1995 | 653K | +1% |
| Oct 1995 | 650K | +1% |
| Sep 1995 | 643K | +1% |
| Aug 1995 | 640K | +1% |
| Jul 1995 | 633K | +1% |
| Jun 1995 | 629K | +1% |
| May 1995 | 624K | +1% |
| Apr 1995 | 618K | +0% |
| Mar 1995 | 617K | +1% |
| Feb 1995 | 608K | +1% |
| Jan 1995 | 603K | +1% |
| Dec 1994 | 600K | +1% |
| Nov 1994 | 594K | +1% |
| Oct 1994 | 590K | +1% |
| Sep 1994 | 587K | +1% |
| Aug 1994 | 581K | +0% |
| Jul 1994 | 578K | +1% |
| Jun 1994 | 571K | +1% |
| May 1994 | 568K | +0% |
| Apr 1994 | 566K | +1% |
| Mar 1994 | 560K | +0% |
| Feb 1994 | 557K | +0% |
| Jan 1994 | 556K | +0% |
| Dec 1993 | 555K | −0% |
| Nov 1993 | 557K | +1% |
| Oct 1993 | 553K | +0% |
| Sep 1993 | 551K | +0% |
| Aug 1993 | 549K | +0% |
| Jul 1993 | 547K | −0% |
| Jun 1993 | 550K | +0% |
| May 1993 | 549K | −0% |
| Apr 1993 | 550K | +0% |
| Mar 1993 | 548K | −0% |
| Feb 1993 | 549K | +1% |
| Jan 1993 | 545K | +0% |
| Dec 1992 | 543K | +0% |
| Nov 1992 | 541K | +1% |
| Oct 1992 | 537K | +1% |
| Sep 1992 | 533K | +1% |
| Aug 1992 | 529K | +1% |
| Jul 1992 | 526K | +1% |
| Jun 1992 | 523K | +1% |
| May 1992 | 519K | +1% |
| Apr 1992 | 516K | +0% |
| Mar 1992 | 514K | +0% |
| Feb 1992 | 512K | −0% |
| Jan 1992 | 512K | +1% |
| Dec 1991 | 509K | +0% |
| Nov 1991 | 509K | +0% |
| Oct 1991 | 507K | −0% |
| Sep 1991 | 508K | +0% |
| Aug 1991 | 507K | +0% |
| Jul 1991 | 506K | +0% |
| Jun 1991 | 504K | +0% |
| May 1991 | 504K | +0% |
| Apr 1991 | 502K | +0% |
| Mar 1991 | 499K | +0% |
| Feb 1991 | 499K | −1% |
| Jan 1991 | 502K | +0% |
| Dec 1990 | 501K | +0% |
| Nov 1990 | 500K | −1% |
| Oct 1990 | 503K | −0% |
| Sep 1990 | 503K | −0% |
| Aug 1990 | 504K | −1% |
| Jul 1990 | 509K | +0% |
| Jun 1990 | 508K | −0% |
| May 1990 | 508K | −1% |
| Apr 1990 | 511K | −0% |
| Mar 1990 | 512K | +0% |
| Feb 1990 | 509K | +1% |
| Jan 1990 | 503K | — |
Annual data
| Year | Business Support Jobs (Call Centers) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 628K | −4% |
| 2025 | 652K | −6% |
| 2024 | 692K | −7% |
| 2023 | 741K | −6% |
| 2022 | 791K | −3% |
| 2021 | 815K | +0% |
| 2020 | 815K | −7% |
| 2019 | 876K | −2% |
| 2018 | 895K | −1% |
| 2017 | 904K | −1% |
| 2016 | 912K | +2% |
| 2015 | 895K | +2% |
| 2014 | 880K | +3% |
| 2013 | 858K | +3% |
| 2012 | 831K | +2% |
| 2011 | 816K | +1% |
| 2010 | 810K | −1% |
| 2009 | 822K | −2% |
| 2008 | 834K | +2% |
| 2007 | 819K | +3% |
| 2006 | 795K | +3% |
| 2005 | 768K | +1% |
| 2004 | 759K | +1% |
| 2003 | 751K | −1% |
| 2002 | 758K | −3% |
| 2001 | 781K | −1% |
| 2000 | 788K | +1% |
| 1999 | 782K | +1% |
| 1998 | 774K | +5% |
| 1997 | 735K | +8% |
| 1996 | 680K | +8% |
| 1995 | 631K | +10% |
| 1994 | 576K | +5% |
| 1993 | 550K | +5% |
| 1992 | 526K | +4% |
| 1991 | 505K | −0% |
| 1990 | 506K | — |
Also in Employment & Jobs