- Manish Jain
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Ask ten sources for the average call center attrition rate, and ten answers come back. Many come with no survey, no year, and no definition behind them. Yet buyers still use these numbers to judge vendors, and leaders use them to set targets.
So we went back to the original research. This guide brings together the call center attrition benchmarks we could trace to tier-1 or official sources. It also shows what each figure covers and where the evidence runs out. Finally, it explains how to judge any attrition number a vendor quotes.
The Short Answer: What Public Research Actually Shows
Each figure below has a tier-1 or official publisher, a stated period, and a clear definition. They measure different things, so compare them with care. Notably, only one market has a published, measured series of call center attrition rates.
| Market | Type | Figure | Period | What it measures | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | Measured attrition | 36% (2021), 31% (2022) annual; 19% in the first half of 2023 | 2021 to mid-2023 | Measured voluntary attrition, member contact center firms | CCAP survey by Willis Towers Watson, via PNA |
| United States | Intent to leave | 19% of contact center employees likely to leave within a year | McKinsey survey, published 2018 | Self-reported intent to leave (320 employees), not measured attrition | McKinsey & Company |
| United States | Engagement | Only 1 in 3 service reps engaged; disengaged reps 84% more likely to look for a new job | Survey of 600 reps, December 2020 | Engagement and job-seeking, not measured attrition | Gartner |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | n/a | No documented series found in our review | n/a | n/a | See below |
U.S. labor data adds a broader reference point. These are monthly quit rates for whole sectors, so do not compare them directly with the annual rates above.
| Series | Average monthly quits rate | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States, all industries | 2.0% | 2025 | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| United States, professional and business services | About 2.3% | 2025 | BLS JOLTS via FRED |
The Philippines: The Clearest Industry Series
The Philippines, a leading offshore market, has the most transparent public series. The Contact Center Association of the Philippines runs an attrition survey of member firms with Willis Towers Watson. The full survey is not public, so we rely on official reporting of it. As the Philippine News Agency reported, voluntary attrition fell from 36% in 2021 to 31% in 2022.
It then reached 19% in the first half of 2023, according to Malaya Business Insight. However, that last figure covers six months, not a full year. So do not compare it directly with annual rates. Still, the reported figures show voluntary attrition falling across the period. The reports do not establish why.
United States: Intent to Leave and Engagement
For the U.S., the tier-1 research measures risk rather than actual exits. A McKinsey survey of 320 U.S. contact center employees found that 19% were likely to leave their job within a year. That is a self-reported intention, so actual attrition can be higher or lower.
Engagement research points the same way. A Gartner survey of 600 customer service reps in December 2020 found only one in three engaged. Moreover, disengaged reps were 84% more likely to look for a new job than engaged reps. So engagement is one of the clearest early warnings of attrition.
Neither study gives a measured U.S. attrition rate. Figures you see quoted as the U.S. average usually come from vendor or industry surveys, so check them against the five tests later in this guide.
What U.S. Labor Data Adds
No government series tracks call center attrition alone. Still, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics measures quits, meaning voluntary exits, across the economy. Its Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey put the 2025 average monthly quits rate at 2.0% across all industries. That added up to 38.0 million quits for the year.
Professional and business services includes outsourced call centers. Its monthly quits rate averaged about 2.3% in 2025. These are monthly figures for whole sectors. So use them as a broad reference for the labor market, not as a call center benchmark.
What We Know About Nearshore Call Center Attrition
In the research we reviewed, we did not find a sufficiently documented attrition series for Latin America or the Caribbean. Ranges for these markets do circulate online. However, the ones we found came from vendor or consultant commentary, without a named survey, sample, or definition.
That does not mean nearshore attrition is high or low. Instead, it means buyers should ask for program-level data directly, and ask how the vendor calculated it. Labor markets in El Salvador, Colombia, Guatemala, Belize, and Jamaica also differ from one another. So a single regional number would hide as much as it shows.
How to Spot an Unreliable Attrition Statistic
Before you use an attrition figure in a business case or a vendor comparison, check five things:
- Source: Is a survey or dataset named, or does the figure only appear on other blogs?
- Date: Which year does the data cover? Figures from before 2022 may reflect a very different labor market.
- Sample: How many organizations or agents, and in which country?
- Definition: Voluntary only, or voluntary plus involuntary? Are training exits counted?
- Period: Is it annual, monthly, or a monthly figure multiplied by twelve?
A figure that fails two or more of these checks is a talking point, not a benchmark. Cost-per-agent figures deserve the same scrutiny, because some trace back to single estimates from years ago.
How to Calculate Attrition Consistently
Use one formula, and then state it every time. The standard approach divides agents who left over 12 months by the average number of agents in that period. Agreeing on that formula with every vendor makes their figures comparable.
| Choice | Recommended approach |
|---|---|
| Who counts | Production agents only; exclude supervisors and support staff |
| Which exits | Report voluntary and total attrition separately |
| Training exits | Track separately; they reflect hiring fit, not retention |
| Internal moves | Exclude transfers and promotions within the organization |
| Period | Use 12 months; label any monthly figure as monthly |
How to Evaluate Agent Attrition When Choosing an Outsourcing Partner
Benchmarks only go so far. When you choose a partner, what matters is the vendor’s own data on programs like yours. So ask every prospective vendor these five questions:
- What were your voluntary and total attrition rates over the last 12 months?
- Do these figures cover your whole workforce, or agents on programs comparable to ours?
- How do you treat training exits, internal transfers, and involuntary departures in the calculation?
- How quickly do you backfill vacancies, and how long do replacement agents take to reach proficiency?
- How do you monitor the effect of turnover on quality, customer satisfaction, and service levels?
Good answers come with consistent definitions and program context. Vague answers, or a single company-wide number, deserve a follow-up. Our guide to writing a call center RFP shows how to build these questions into a formal evaluation.
Retention and quality are closely linked, so read the answers alongside the vendor’s QA approach. Our guide to call center quality assurance covers what to look for. For support teams facing high turnover, see our post on managing high attrition in SaaS support. Then explore how our nearshore call center services work.
What Attrition Costs
Attrition is expensive, because each exit triggers recruiting, training, and a period of lower productivity. McKinsey estimated each new agent hire costs a contact center $10,000 to $20,000. That covers training, recruiting, and lost productivity during ramp-up. However, that estimate dates from 2018 and gives no method. So treat it as a sign of scale, not a current benchmark.
A better approach is to model the cost for your own program. Add up these components for each replacement agent:
- Recruiting: sourcing, screening, language testing, and background checks
- Training: trainer time, materials, and the new hire’s paid training weeks
- Ramp-up: lower productivity and quality until the agent reaches proficiency
- Supervision and QA: extra coaching and monitoring for new agents
- Service impact: missed service levels, repeat contacts, or penalties during backfill
Multiply that total by expected exits per year, and you have a figure that fits your program. If you outsource, much of this cost sits with the vendor. However, the service impact still lands on your customers.
Evaluating a Nearshore Call Center Partner?
Understand how staffing, training, retention, and backfill processes fit your customer support requirements. Talk with SkyCom about your outsourcing needs and LATAM delivery options.
Conclusion
Verified call center attrition benchmarks are far fewer than the internet suggests. Only the Philippines publishes a measured industry series, and its voluntary attrition has fallen since 2021. Meanwhile, U.S. tier-1 research measures intent to leave and engagement, not actual exits. For nearshore markets, ask vendors for program-level data with clear definitions. Before you sign, ask each vendor the five questions above.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average call center attrition rate?
There is no single reliable figure. The clearest public series, from the Philippines, shows voluntary attrition of 31% in 2022. For the U.S., tier-1 research measures intent to leave rather than actual exits. So ask any source for its method.
Is there a call center attrition benchmark for Latin America?
We could not find a published, methodology-backed series for Latin America or the Caribbean. Ask vendors for program-level data and how they calculate it.
How do you calculate call center attrition?
Divide agents who left over 12 months by the average number of agents in that period. Report voluntary and total attrition separately, and track training exits on their own.
What is the difference between attrition and quits?
Attrition usually counts all exits, voluntary and involuntary. Quits, as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, count voluntary exits only, usually as a monthly rate.
How can I tell if an attrition statistic is reliable?
Check for a named source, the year of the data, and the sample. Then check the definition and whether the figure is annual or monthly. Missing two or more of these is a warning sign.
