More than 50,000 jobs were created in call centres last year, dismissing fears that recruitment would be hit because of work being outsourced abroad, according to a new report. The industry remained on course to employ a million workers by the end of 2007, said analysts ContactBabel.

Steve Morrell of ContactBabel said: "The UK contact centre industry continues to grow at a healthy and sustainable rate, driven by the expansion of existing operations, rather than the opening of new contact centres. It is currently worth £17bn to the UK economy."