The positive job numbers for March released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday indicated an increase of 20,000 jobs in accounting and 6,000 in finance (see
“Across the country we’re seeing an increase in hiring in both accounting and finance, in the temporary space as well as permanent placement,” said Jodi Chavez, senior vice president of staffing company Accounting Principals. “It appears as though companies are feeling more confident in their own workflow and the security of their own company. We’re seeing them manage their human capital expenses either on the temporary side or the permanent placement side.”
Her staffing company has noticed an increase in hiring in accounting and finance since November.
“It was slow in November and somewhat slow in December, but consistent, and we saw an increase again in January, and again in February and again in March,” she told me. “We expected the numbers eventually should reflect the hiring that’s been going on, and I think this month it finally caught up. It sort of trued up the numbers. It’s reflective of what we’ve seen in the marketplace. We’ve seen an uptick in hiring since November. We’re in the fifth month of a consistent upswing in hiring in accounting and finance.”
The positions in accounting are across a variety of industries, and not just in public accounting firms. Industry positions are being created in health care, manufacturing, leisure and hospitality, the nonprofit sector, and the retail sector.
“Even though the unemployment rate is 8.8, it’s always been much lower than that in accounting and finance,” Chavez noted. “We’re seeing the demand for that skill set continue to be a position that companies are looking to hire.”
Both junior and senior-level positions appear to be in demand, ranging from accounting clerks, accounting managers, payroll supervisors, and assistant controllers, through consultants, CFOs and controllers.
“As always in the accounting space, employees that carry a CPA are always in high demand,” Chavez added.
