9,000 Belizeans, Mostly Youth and Women, Work at Call Centres

With thousands of Belizeans depending on call centres and digital service jobs, government officials and business leaders met on Thursday to discuss how to protect and grow the country’s Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector.

The Business Mixer was hosted by the Economic Development Council under the Office of the Prime Minister, along with the Belize BPO Association and the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The focus was on challenges facing the sector and what needs to be done to keep it growing in a competitive global market.

According to officials, 17 BPO companies currently operate under a government programme called the Designated Processing Area (DPA), providing more than 9,000 direct jobs. Across the wider sector, about 20,000 Belizeans work in digital services, most of them young people and women. These jobs offer steady income, benefits, and opportunities to advance into supervisory, technical, and management roles.

The sector also contributes significantly to the economy, with exports of digital services valued at $450 million, according to UNCTAD figures.

At the mixer, discussions also focused on real issues affecting both workers and companies. These included labour laws, Social Security services, immigration rules for work permits, and growing concerns about cybersecurity and online crime.

Business representatives also shared plans to expand training programmes that will help entry-level workers improve their skills and prepare them for higher-paying digital jobs on the global stage.