Verizon hiring 1,000 operators

Of those jobs, 250 will be at a facility in Lakeland. The rest will be at facilities in other parts of the country.

In an age of direct dialing and online phone directories, a job as a phone company operator is not exactly a booming line of work.

But Verizon Communications said Thursday it is hiring 1,000 new operators - including 250 for a facility in Lakeland. Other workers will be hired at Verizon facilities in California, Idaho, Maine, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

The phone giant has developed a niche providing wholesale operator services to other phone companies.

"Even though the overall volume of operator assistance and directory assistance calling is down over the last few years, we have had considerable success offering our specialized, skilled operator services to other telecommunications businesses," said Kitty Linder, president of the wholesale unit, Verizon LiveSource.

Verizon spokesman Bob Elek said the new operators in Lakeland will provide operator support for AT&T Wireless under a multiyear contract. But consolidation in the wireless phone business could eventually put a new cloud over the operator jobs: Cingular Wireless is in the process of buying AT&T Wireless for $41-billion.