Despite the gloomy employment statistics reported by the Labor Department, payroll processors are still seeing increases in hiring by small businesses.

Employment in the private sector fell by 33,000 jobs in August, according to the latest monthly report by payroll giant ADP.

Comparatively few universities will be educating students in international accounting standards this academic year, despite plans by the Securities and Exchange Commission to impose the new standards on U.S. companies.

Chief financial officers plan to hire more accounting and finance employees in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to a newly released survey.

Drake Software has enlisted InterceptEFT to provide direct deposit of payroll through Drake's Client Write-Up software.

There might be a new, ready supply of seasoned CPAs for the busiest time of year. Staffing is still a problem for many firms, and it is particularly felt during the tax prep season when many accountants have to work extra hours because firms often aren’t able or can’t afford to hire additional full-time staff. The results of a recent Charles Schwab and Age Wave study, entitled ”Rethinking Retirement,” point to a possible solution. Surprisingly, 71 percent of the pre-retirees surveyed want to work in retirement. Even more fascinating is that 40 percent want to cycle back and forth between periods of work and leisure. In the write-up to the study, there is the observation that this is “a new style of work with which most employer policies are unaligned.” These numbers indicates there will be a ready supply of seasoned retired CPAs, which can supplement a firm during its busiest times, say February to April 15th, and maybe a month before tax return extensions are due. Firms benefit, as they only have to pay for these individuals when they are needed, they are employing experts at tax preparation, and those individuals are used to working during the pressured tax season. The retirees are happy because they are working on a limited basis, and, rather than working part-time, they have the desirable cycle of back and forth between periods of work and leisure. And with remote access, firms can tap into retired CPAs all across the country. Initially, firms will be using retirees from their firms, but I would expect that would extend quickly to other retired CPAs, and the AICPA and state CPA societies will help by publicizing best practices with regard to cycling back and forth. And like bike riding, which might have been difficult to learn but natural when mastered, this type of cycling will become another readily available staffing solution for firms.

Sage Software has signed a deal with CompuPay to provide outsourced payroll services for Sage customers, including those using Peachtree Managed Payroll.

The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy is looking into administering the Uniform CPA Examination outside the U.S.

Fifty-four percent of the accounting and finance professionals in a new survey said that economic uncertainty was making their jobs more complex.

An Ernst & Young partner has teamed up with a movie studio accountant to produce an online comic book based on the TV series and recent movie Get Smart that provides an overview of tax deductions for the film and TV industry.

Education consultancy Professional Education Services has created an affiliate program for CPAs and certified financial planners to give them access to its college-funding software.

The American Institute of CPAs and Texas Tech University's Division of Personal Financial Planning have teamed up to offer a new educational program for gaining the AICPA's Personal Financial Specialist credential.

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Intuit has integrated the latest version of its Intuit Online Payroll software with its QuickBooks accounting software.

The door to the proverbial "Boys Club" may have been cracked ajar, but there's still some heavy pushing to do to get it wide open -- particularly for women of color.That was the overwhelming consensus of Women of Color in Accounting, a recent study conducted by Catalyst, a New York-based think tank dedicated to expanding opportunities for women and business.

Payroll is becoming a seminal battleground in accounting software, with more than a dozen major companies offering a variety of programs. And that doesn't begin to measure new competition from banks and other financial services firms.Nor is there any consensus on the format. Established online payroll services such as CompuPay and MPay are now seeing additional competition from the likes of ADP's Run and Intuit Online Payroll. But service bureaus are likewise making a comeback as they diversify their offerings and compete more strongly on price, as the new myPay service from Thomson-Reuters is demonstrating.

More than 70 CPA firms and several state CPA societies are aiming to reverse the shortage of accounting professors at U.S. colleges and universities by providing $15 million to finance the educations of Ph.D candidates.

Private sector employment increased by 9,000 jobs in July, according to the latest monthly report by payroll giant ADP, but there were still substantial job losses at large and midsized companies.

The Howard University School of Business’s Center for Accounting Education recently held a weeklong program to improve the retention and advancement of young African American accountants and increase the numbers passing the CPA Exam early in their career.

John Gimigliano, former senior tax counsel of the House Ways and Means Committee and staff director of the Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures, has joined KPMG.