<ARTICLE>                     5
<LEGEND>
     This schedule contains the thirty-nine week summary  financial  information
extracted from APAC TeleServices, Inc. and subsidiaries' 1998 third quarter Form
10-Q and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such Form 10-Q filing.
</LEGEND>
<MULTIPLIER>                                     1,000
       
                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   9-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          DEC-27-1998
<PERIOD-END>                               SEP-27-1998
<CASH>                                          13,252
<SECURITIES>                                         0
<RECEIVABLES>                                   85,685
<ALLOWANCES>                                         0
<INVENTORY>                                          0
<CURRENT-ASSETS>                               108,342
<PP&E>                                         155,710
<DEPRECIATION>                                  58,769
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                 355,195
<CURRENT-LIABILITIES>                           81,572
<BONDS>                                        137,143
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                                0
<PREFERRED>                                          0
<COMMON>                                           489
<OTHER-SE>                                     124,474
<TOTAL-LIABILITY-AND-EQUITY>                   355,195
<SALES>                                              0
<TOTAL-REVENUES>                               318,072
<CGS>                                                0
<TOTAL-COSTS>                                  215,086
<OTHER-EXPENSES>                                52,594
<LOSS-PROVISION>                                     0
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                               5,140
<INCOME-PRETAX>                                  9,252
<INCOME-TAX>                                     4,500
<INCOME-CONTINUING>                              4,752
<DISCONTINUED>                                       0
<EXTRAORDINARY>                                      0
<CHANGES>                                            0
<NET-INCOME>                                     4,752
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                     0.10
<EPS-DILUTED>                                     0.10