Site Selection Group Releases 2026 Global Contact Center Location & Outsourcing Trends Whitepaper

Site Selection Group released their latest whitepaper, 2026 Global Contact Center Location & Outsourcing Trends Report, providing a comprehensive analysis of how organizations are rethinking contact center site selection across onshore, nearshore, and offshore markets.

Now in its third decade of publishing annual call center location research, Site Selection Group’s newest report reflects a fundamental shift in global delivery strategy. Rather than focusing solely on labor cost arbitrage, enterprises are increasingly adopting portfolio-based location models that balance workforce availability, attrition risk, regulatory considerations, customer experience expectations, and long-term operational resilience.

“Contact center site selection has become significantly more complex than in prior cycles,” said King R. White, CEO of Site Selection Group. “Labor availability, workforce stability, and execution capability now outweigh headline wage rates. This year’s report is designed to help organizations understand where growth is actually occurring and how location strategies are evolving in response to these realities.”

The 2026 whitepaper builds on Site Selection Group’s historical Call Center Location Trends Reports and incorporates current market observations across major global regions, including:

• The United States and Canada
• Latin America and the Caribbean
• Africa
• Western and Eastern Europe
• India and the Philippines

Each regional section includes market benchmarks, operating conditions, and analysis of notable project activity to illustrate where investment is clustering and which markets are maturing or becoming constrained.

Key findings

• Continued growth in high-performing nearshore markets driven by time-zone alignment and service quality
• Sustained importance of offshore locations for scale and cost efficiency, alongside rising emphasis on attrition management
• Targeted reinvestment in onshore locations for complex, regulated, and brand-sensitive customer interactions
• Increasing use of secondary and tertiary markets as traditional hubs become saturated
• The role of artificial intelligence in reshaping, but not replacing, global contact center location strategy
• The report emphasizes that successful contact center strategies in 2026 and beyond will be defined by disciplined site selection, diversified delivery footprints, and long-term workforce sustainability, rather than short-term cost advantages.

The 2026 Global Contact Center Location & Outsourcing Trends whitepaper is intended for executives, real estate and workforce leaders, and decision-makers responsible for customer experience operations and global delivery strategy.