Public fears over UK employment suffering from offshoring have been exaggerated, according to research from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Economists at the global financial body have found that outsourcing call centre, IT and back office jobs has had no significant effect on the UK’s industries.

The IMF examined 13 services activities ranging from telecoms to architects and found no evidence that sectors with higher levels of outsourcing had slower rates of job creation than those which did not outsource projects.

Kai McCabe, managing director of call centre recruiter Search Consultancy, believes that there needs to be a sense of perspective. “Last year there were 800,000 call centre workers in the UK, and only 120,000 in India,” said McCabe.

“We haven’t lost any customers to India. Companies are only moving parts of their business, such as back office staff.”

Several UK companies courted controversy last year after unveiling plans to shift jobs abroad.

HSBC said it would offshore 4,000 jobs from the UK, while National Rail Enquiries and Lloyds TSB’s insurance division announced they would move nearly 1,000 jobs each to India.