Save content
Have you found this content useful? Use the button above to save it to your profile.
AIA

Accounting jobs market remains buoyant

by
7th Sep 2010
Save content
Have you found this content useful? Use the button above to save it to your profile.

Public sector work may be drying up but jobs in the accountancy sector are on the increase, according to the latest raft of figures released this week.

Demand for accountancy staff rose to a record high in August, in contrast to flat demand across the UK economy as a whole, with a 17% increase in vacancy levels compared to eight months ago, according to the Reed Job Index.

“This shows just how important the profession is to employers,” commented Martin Warnes, managing director of reed.co.uk. “While job demand has stayed flat in other areas, employers are turning to accountants first to help lead them out of recession”.

Employment prospects within the Big Four also looked rosy, with PricewaterhouseCoopers UK announcing plans this week to create 800 new jobs, despite a 5.6% drop in profits from 2009 to £642 million. The firm’s turnover was up 4%, but new staff hires and investment pushed up costs.

Although many financial services organisations are cutting down on their payroll spend (including Royal Bank of Scotland which announced 3,500 job cuts this week), PwC said it would create the new jobs on top of its programme to recruit 1,200 graduates.

"We are under no illusion that there remain challenges ahead," PWC UK chairman Ian Powell said in a statement."However, in the next 12 months we intend to create 800 new jobs across our businesses to enhance the services and value we offer to clients," he added.

As economic pressures tighten over the next 18 months, it will be accountants that businesses look to for guidance, said Lynne Hardman, managing director of professional services at recruitment specialists Badenoch & Clark. “There is a significant trend for employers to recruit recently qualified ACA and CIMA accountants for their business partnering roles. The demand for individuals with strong commercial and influencing skills, underpinned by a sound level of technical competence continues”.
 

Replies (2)

Please login or register to join the discussion.

By [email protected]
08th Sep 2010 14:39

Accountancy jobs on the increase?

What rubbish! I have been getting e-mails from several job sites as well as visits to the job centre and the only job I have had an interview for is an 8 hours a week bookkeeping job at a cheap hourly rate and it turned out that that included doing three lots of incorporated accounts, corporation tax, VAT, Bookkeeping and Payroll year-end all at £8 per hour to save on accountancy fees in excess of £8,000! Even qualified accountants are now better off claiming benefits! What a total utter shambles this country is in, does anyone agree?

Thanks (0)
avatar
By Trevor Scott
09th Sep 2010 10:32

I agree, total nonsense

I know numerous qualified accountants/CIOT who are begging me for work I can't give them. I know of two others who retired early because they knew there was no hope. I know of one CIPFA who was made redundant who is to move abroad. I know of many accountants technicians/clerks who have moved into other careers…they gave up hope…especially with the next recession/depression.

You have to take anything written by Employment Agencies with a pinch of salt. I think they usually come out with this sort of nonsense to attract candidates who will register with them in order to key into these "fantastic opportunities" which if they do exist will only materialise for a few people in London. 

 

Thanks (0)