Bottom Rung: Idaho’s Expanding Call Center Industry
Call center jobs have boomed in Idaho. The industry has added thousands of jobs in the state over the last decade. EMSI, a Moscow, Idaho-based company that analyzes employment and economic data, projects that growth will continue in the near-term.
Data Source: Economic Modeling Specialists Intl.
Bottom Rung: Living On Low Wages In Idaho
Part 1: Bottom Rung: Two Idaho Workers Talk About Life On Low Wages
Infographic: Bottom Rung: Expenses Are Tough To Pay On Idaho’s $7.25 Minimum Wage
Part 2: Bottom Rung: Why An Influx Of Retirees To Idaho Is Creating More Low-Wage Jobs
Charts: Bottom Rung: Migration By The Numbers
Part 3: Bottom Rung: The Workforce Shift That’s Costing Idaho Good-Paying Jobs
Chart: Bottom Rung: Construction Jobs Gained And Lost, And Their Place In Idaho’s Economy
Bottom Rung: Gov. Otter Touts Idaho’s Low Wages To Attract Gun Companies
Part 4: Bottom Rung: Why Building A Strong Idaho Economy Takes Public Investment
Chart: Bottom Rung: Idaho’s Expanding Call Center Industry
Part 5: Bottom Rung: Why One Idaho Border Business Chose Washington
Bottom Rung: The Politics Of Increasing Idaho’s Minimum Wage
Two-Way: Bottom Rung: Longtime Idaho Economist Stresses Education And Healthcare To Boost Wages
Data: Bottom Rung: Idaho Has More Minimum Wage Workers Than 18 States
Background: Making Money In Idaho, A Guide To Wages
The chart above uses the same data employed in this morning’s radio story. EMSI finalized a new report today that shows somewhat slower growth for the industry than their previous report. It projects there will be just over 12,100 call center jobs in Idaho by 2022, as opposed to the 14,080 previously projected.
Based on that new data, the number of call center jobs in Idaho has grown by more than 250 percent since 2001. By 2022, it’s expected to have grown by 325 percent.
Especially striking is the concentration of call center jobs in Idaho compared to the nation overall. Comparing percent employment in the industry in Idaho to percent employment in the industry in the nation, EMSI’s analysis finds that Idaho has four times the concentration of call center jobs.
At a recent call center job fair in Boise, the eight companies offering jobs had starting wages ranging from $9 to $13 an hour. Idaho call center workers earn about 20 percent less per year than call center workers on average, according to EMSI.
