The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that January brought 151,000 new jobs to the economy, of which 5,800 are in accounting or bookkeeping services, according to Accounting Today.

 

Firms will be in fierce competition to get these positions filled, however, as the pool of available accounting professionals remains shallow. Accounting and finance positions have consistently ranked in the top 10 most difficult jobs to fill, according to the Annual Talent Shortage Survey. This tracks with other polls of CPA firms conducted by the AICPA and Rosenberg Associates that both say finding and retaining talent is the top concern for firms of all sizes, save sole practitioners. 

 

This news does represent opportunities for workers, who benefit from the increased competition. Theaccountingpath.org, which provides guides for students considering an accounting career, said starting salaries have risen about 3 percent since 2014, indicating continued strong demand. 

 

Kim Gottschalk, senior regional vice president for the staffing company Accounting Principals, expects hiring to be very strong for at least this year and the next, according to Accounting Today. With a labor market like this, she believes skilled accountants should be able to find jobs very quickly, and they will be probably pay quite well.