As well as tightened credit criteria, the fall is also due a lack of demand, according to David Dooks, director of statistics at the BBA: "In the deepest recession for 50 years, with unemployment rising and house prices falling, it is not in the least bit surprising that demand for loans is subdued".
It's hardly surprising, then, that demand for mental health services has risen by a staggering 20 per cent over the last five years - while mental health service budgets were cut by 8 per cent in real terms.
SunGard now employs more than 600 people in Bangalore and Pune, where, among other tasks, they maintain BRASS, the trading and order-management system used on New York's NASDAQ stock exchange.It would be surprising if the demand for Indian talent were not creating some scarcity: no educational system could respond instantly to such a rapid growth in demand.
And a few less surprising consequences: Increased demand for solar energy.
Wall Street started the day on a high note, encouraged by the relatively strong news from Ford Motor, as well as a surprising sign of demand for durable goods.
Because of patients' growing expectation on comfort during medical procedures, it is not surprising that the demand for sedation also expands.
With companies axing jobs left right and centre, it is hardly surprising there is falling demand for recruitment agencies.
The stock market success of this anemic e-commerce company should not be surprising, given the huge demand for technology initial public offerings.
"Bids change depending on the target audience, so it's not surprising to see higher demand for socially active college grads with iPhones," she writes.
