Those in finance jobs in the Netherlands might be concerned to learn of the decision to axe more than 2,000 staff at one of the country's leading banks.

ABN Amro will relieve 2,350 employees of their duties over the course of the next three to four years in the run-up to it returning to private ownership.

A recent integration of the Dutch assets of rival bank Fortis into ABN Amro led to the loss of about 6,000 finance jobs in the Netherlands.

Gerrit Zalm, chairman of ABN Amro, said: "We are on schedule and more than halfway through the integration, which will run until the end of 2012. Unfortunately, these initiatives will have an impact on our employees."

It is just the latest case of a European bank shedding jobs as each gets to grips with the economic situation.

Lawrence Gold, a financial expert, recently said that banks should do more to satisfy their customers and suggested communication is the key to success.

Posted by Kate Griffin