Off-shoring in the contact centre industry and employment in the North West of England

The significance of contact centre employment has recently been the subject of renewed debate in regional policy-making of late, driven by media comment on the threat of off-shoring. Despite these concerns, empirical research on the scale of such activities in regions is limited. This article reviews available data on contact centre employment in the sub-regions of North West England. The evidence appears to show continued growth in the number of contact centres and employment totals. The concluding section reconsiders the significance of contact centres for Regional Economic Strategies that focus on developing high value-added activities.