Global Call-Centre Employment Falls as AI Adoption Expands
Revelio Labs says global call-centre headcount is now 5.3% below its December 2023 peak.
Global call-centre employment has continued to shrink as businesses adopt AI chatbots, according to Revelio Labs data reported on 6 October 2026.
Headcount is 5.3% below its December 2023 peak and has declined year over year for eight consecutive quarters. The trend coincides with wider use of AI in customer support, although the data does not establish that AI alone caused every reduction.
The cost incentive is significant. TP is targeting €150–170 million in annual AI-driven savings, while TaskUs’ chief executive said agentic AI could reduce customer-support costs by 25–50%.
The shift is also visible in hiring: data cited by a16z and Pave shows customer-support roles fell from 8.3% of new hires in the fourth quarter of 2023 to 2.8% in the third quarter of 2025. Gartner research cited in the findings provides a counterpoint: only 20% of surveyed leaders had reduced agent staffing because of AI, while 55% reported stable staffing amid higher volumes.
For Australian employers, the lesson is to treat an AI rollout as a potential restructure, not an automatic redundancy decision. Define which tasks and roles are genuinely no longer required, consult affected employees before deciding, and properly assess redeployment options before terminating employment.
- Global call-centre headcount is 5.3% below its December 2023 peak.
- Employment has declined year over year for eight consecutive quarters.
- The decline coincides with AI chatbot adoption, but the findings do not prove AI caused every reduction.
- TP is targeting €150–170 million in annual AI-driven savings.
- Customer-support roles fell from 8.3% to 2.8% of new hires between late 2023 and late 2025.
For employers: An AI-enabled support restructure should begin with a task and role assessment, followed by consultation before any decision. Employers should establish whether roles are genuinely redundant and document suitable redeployment options before ending employment.
Sources: After a Decade of Growth, Global Call Center Employment Is Shrinking · Percentage of Customer Support Agents Hired Has Fallen From 8.3% to 2.8%
General information for employers, not legal advice. Reporting summarised from the linked sources; confirm details with the primary source.