3.30 MillionBusiness Services jobs at risk by 2011

The Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR) predicted that half of the jobs created in business services over the past five years will go, and recovery in the sector will be slow.

The economics think tank said by 2013 there would still be 311,000 fewer jobs in business services than there were at the sector's peak in 2008.

The business services sector will be particularly hard hit by the recession because of its reliance on discretionary budgets and public sector spending, which could be reduced by as much as 10% over the period.

The advertising sector is expected to be worst hit, with 15,000 jobs likely to be lost by 2011.