A survey by the Management Consultancies Association of members of the British Bankers Association has found that 41 per cent plan to outsource more of their business.

Ninety per cent of respondents have already engaged in some outsourcing – quite impressive and demonstrative of how far entrenched the use of outsourcing is within financial services. More importantly, 89 per cent of respondents believe they have used outsourcing as a business tool without leading to a loss of jobs.

It’s hardly likely that in this kind of survey the respondents would say something negative, but nine out of 10 bankers saying that they are using outsourcing - and it does not affect local jobs - is quite a statement of how companies are doing business today. Outsourcing has become just a regular day at work.