Insee Première · December 2022 · n° 1931

Call centres, a fast-growing sector during the health crisis

Between 2019 and 2021, the turnover of the call centre sector grew strongly (+18.6%), while that of business support activities contracted (-3.9%). In the decade before the Covid-19 crisis, the sector's growth was sustained (+4.1% per year on average), but slightly lower than that of all support activities (+4.7% per year on average). Between 2010 and 2019, production prices in the sector fell (-0.9% per year on average), while they rose in support activities (+1.1% per year on average). Margin rates changed little between 2010 and 2019.

In 2019, the call centre sector had a turnover of 2.6 billion euros, what represents 2.1% of that of all support activities. The sector's activity is highly concentrated: two thirds of the value added is produced by just four companies. Multinational groups are very present (77% of the value added).

The companies in the sector had a diversified activity: a quarter of their value added was produced in other sectors.

The sector employed a high proportion of women and young adults: two thirds of the 27,300 full-time equivalent employees in the sector were women and half of them were under 35 years old. The average gross hourly wage was lower than that of all support activities (14.6 euros against 15.5 euros). Labour turnover was high.