The 2026 Accounting MOVE Project survey is open for participation now through July 31.
The theme of this year's survey is "Caught in the Middle," exploring how caregiving responsibilities, as well as other responsibilities outside work, affect accounting professionals navigating their careers. The research will be published in October, along with the 2026 Best CPA Firms for Women and Best CPA Firms for Equity Leadership.
The Accounting MOVE Project is an annual survey of accounting and financial firms that measures demographic data and workplace culture to help advance women and other underrepresented groups in the profession.
"Our research continues to show that firms aren't seeing the full picture when it comes to retention," Accounting MOVE Project president Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk said in a statement. "How firms respond to the caregiving needs of their employees is a critical part of that. It's not solely a personal issue; it's shaping who stays, who advances, and ultimately, the strength of a firm's leadership pipeline."
Firms that register early by April 30 will receive 10% off their participation tier. The research is supported by the Center for Accounting Transformation, the American Institute of CPAs, the Black Alliance of Colleges & Employers, and academic researchers from DePaul University and the University of Portland.
"Being both a caregiver for my elderly aunt and a firm owner and having seen what my staff balanced during the pandemic and continue to manage today, I can attest that this is a business issue," Donny Shimamoto, founder of the Center for Accounting Transformation, said in a statement. "Our progressive policies that allow time for caregiving have enabled us to retain many of our core people. Firms that don't understand how this impacts their people will struggle with retention and leadership development in ways they can't fully explain."
