Social Security Administration (SSA) Monthly Data for
National 800 Number Network (N8NN)
Call Volume and Agent Busy Rate
Download this data set
(Updated )
This data set contains data for fiscal years 2009 onward and is currently available in the following format(s):
Background
We are providing data about our performance in serving the public using SSA's national 800 number telephone system. This service is a popular way for millions of people to ask questions and conduct business with us. In fact, on June 10, 2014 we answered our one billionth call. We use several measures to monitor our performance and the public can use the information about our performance to understand the service they are likely to receive. They can also use it to decide the best time to call us.
Data set Index
Agency Program Description
The Social Security Administration's National 800 Number Network provides toll-free telephone service to members of the public residing in the continental United States, as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, the American Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. We answer the calls in Teleservice Centers (TSCs) and Processing Centers (PCs) located nationwide. The National 800 Number Network provides agent service five days a week from 7AM to 7PM in the caller's time zone. Automated services are available 365 per days a year. Normally, call volumes are at their highest levels during the first week of the month and at check delivery times.
We have agents who answer calls in answering sites and in the PC locations. All agents receive extensive training in the various programmatic areas administered by SSA including Retirement, Survivor, Disability, and Medicare benefits and Supplemental Security Income payments. The types of inquires handled range from the status of Social Security Cards applied for through the Enumeration at Birth program to questions about potential eligibility and filing claims for retirement benefits.
For a complete list of services on the National 800 Number Network and other information about our national telephone service, go to: Contact Social Security By Phone.
Data Set Description
This data file provides information at the national level by month for federal fiscal years 2009 onward for volume of calls and the agent busy rate for calls to the National 800 Number Network. Maintaining adequate staffing and the ability to replace losses is the largest factor affecting National 800 Number performance.
Data Collection Description
Our software routing vendor provides the data. Beginning in 2013, we moved to a new network called CARE 2020.
Notes
A Federal Fiscal Year (FY) is the 12-month period from October 1st through September 30th. Most years our fiscal year workload reports contain 52 weeks since we include only full weeks, rather than cut off in the middle of a week. Every few years the reporting period is 53 weeks when we apply the end of week cutoff.
Reporting quarters are administratively set reporting periods and do not necessarily correspond exactly to calendar months.
Effective 03/31/2020, N8NN agents answered calls on dual networks: CARE2020 and Avaya.
The National 800N metrics include Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS), which began March 23, 2023.
Data Dictionary
Fiscal Year (FY): The 12-month period from October 1st through September 30th.
Month: Calendar month.
# of Calls Offered to Agents: The number of calls offered to agents.
# of Busy Calls: The number of busy calls.
Agent Busy Rate: The number of calls offered to agents that received a busy message divided by the total number of calls offered to agents, reported as a percentage.