The number of call centre jobs in the UK is set to increase despite the trend of outsourcing to India.

The latest Income Data Services (IDS) report suggests that 58% of organizations say employment has grown over the year, a rise from the 51% figure recorded in its 'Pay and Conditions in Call-Centres 2003' survey.

Sarah Miller, assistant editor at IDS believes the findings show that, despite the worries about work being moved to India, the call centre sector is ‘very much alive’ in the UK with staff feeling the benefits:

‘We found that most employers in our survey are taking active steps to improve the retention of call-centre staff, for example, building in opportunities for career progression and making the working environment more pleasant,’ she said.

The sectors most likely to expand in the UK, according to the IDS report, are financial services, telecoms, utilities and the public sector. However, many are finding retention a problem.

Almost two-thirds of organisations reported difficulty in retaining staff - on average around one-in-four staff left last year. Agents tend to stay a median of two years with their average salary being £15,000 – up 3.5% on 2003.