Awards went out to women who have done extraordinary work in the accounting profession at a lunchtime ceremony during the Joint National Conference, a three-day event organized by the American Woman's Society of CPAs and American Society of Women Accountants.

Accounting firms in Southern California are trying to cope with the wildfires raging across the region, in many cases shutting down or relocating.

The American Institute of CPAs outlined its strategic plan and priorities at its Fall Meeting of Council and Annual Members’ Meeting.

Starting salaries for accounting and finance professionals will increase an average of 4.3 percent in the year ahead, predicted the 2008 Salary Guide from staffing firm Robert Half International.

Automatic Data Processing's Small Business Services division released an online payroll system aimed at accountants who service small businesses.

Two thirds of U.S. workers who call in sick at the last minute do so for reasons other than physical illness, according to a new survey.

Barry Melancon has been leading the American Institute of CPAs since 1995. As president and CEO of the AICPA, he has been keeping busy on a number of fronts this past year. The Institute has been working with Congress on patent reform to keep tax strategy patents from taking hold. Another priority has been CPA mobility, so CPAs face fewer regulatory barriers when practicing across different states. Melancon has also been closely involved with the effort to move toward Extensible Business Reporting Language for financial statements, spearheading an initiative to assign data tags to generally accepted accounting principles. He was recently named co-vice chair of the Center for Audit Quality and to a position on the Treasury Department's new Advisory Committee on the Audit Profession. Melancon is also a member of the AICPA's delegation to the International Federation of Accountants. His accounting career began in 1979 at Bergeron & Co. in Louisiana. Before joining the AICPA, he served for eight years as executive director of the Society of Louisiana CPAs.

Employers around the world are worried about the shortage of accounting and finance talent, according to a newly released survey.

What happens when you're a female partner who enjoys golfing, but instead of being invited to a golf foursome with important clients, your husband - who's not even with your firm - is asked to go instead?Is this intentional, or just an oversight?

Small businesses accounted for the bulk of new jobs in September, adding 53,000 of the 58,000 new jobs in non-farm private employment, according to a report by payroll-processing giant ADP.

Accounting and payroll software provider Red Wing Software is introducing a new service that will allow users to file and access W-2s online anytime.

"We were stretching our ranks much too thin and we simply couldn't hire people fast enough to keep up with such a rapid growth. I felt the substantial growth was causing us to get away from our culture to have a solid work/life balance. If we had kept letting market conditions run their course on our firm without taking action, we could have lost what made us great--our employees. So we slowed down this rapid escalation and staffed up to provide employees with a good work/life balance."

Accounting firm Silver, Lerner, Schwartz & Fertel announced a merger with Phyllis Malitz & Associates, increasing the size of SLSF to 35.

Quantum Simulations said it has begun field-testing artificial intelligence software for tutoring accounting students.

Automatic Data Processing said it has identified a phishing scam targeted at ADP clients and others.

Payroll and benefits outsourcing provider Paychex Inc. has purchased San Diego-based Hawthorne Benefit Technologies Inc., an online benefits and management administrator. Going forward, the company will now operate as Paychex Benefit Technologies Inc. The acquisition will give Paychex access to Hawthorne's proprietary BeneTrac system, which provides benefits enrollment and administration technology.

CPAs have received a blessing in disguise with the annual continuing professional education requirements that force them to learn something new.

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.

Job cuts in the mortgage industry are prompting many workers to turn to the accounting industry for work, according to one staffing company.

Deloitte & Touche debuted a Deloitte Film Festival featuring short films submitted by teams of Deloitte employees from around the U.S.