Accounting Hiring Expected to Accelerate

Hiring of accounting and finance employees is anticipated to increase in the fourth quarter, according to a newly released survey of CFOs in the United States.

Nine percent of the 1,400 CFOs surveyed by staffing firm Robert Half International plan to add full-time employees in the fourth quarter. On the other hand, 3 percent expect to reduce staff. But that still leaves a net 6 percent increase, or three percentage points above the hiring projection in the third quarter.

The main reason behind the increased hiring is a bigger workload. Forty-one percent of CFOs say workload is driving demand, while 37 percent of the CFOs surveyed cite business growth as the prime factor.

The South Atlantic region is likely to see the biggest spurt in hiring, with 12 percent of the CFOs surveyed in that region planning to bring in personnel and only 1 percent planning to cut back. However, in some local markets, such as Baltimore, Los Angeles, and Dayton, Ohio, a decrease in hiring is expected.

CFOs in the construction, finance, insurance and real estate sectors indicated the greatest likelihood of increasing their hiring. Sixteen percent of the CFOs polled in construction firms plan to add more accounting and finance personnel in the fourth quarter, and none said they planned any cutbacks. The other three sectors indicated net gains of 11 percent.

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