headcount hits new post-crash low.
the number of jobs in the accounting and bookkeeping sector sank again last month to a seasonally-adjusted 878,600, down 4,700 from the month before and 91,500 off the peak of 970,100 in february 2008.
at the same time, the nation added 151,000 private sector jobs, the 10th straight months of albeit anemic gains, according to the latest data from the u.s. bureau of labor statistics. the nation’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.6%.
the bls reported:
within the service-providing sector, temporary help services added 35,000 jobs over the month, bringing total job gains since september 2009 to 451,000. employment in computer systems design and related services rose by 8,000 in october; this industry has added 53,000 jobs since june 2009. health care employment continued to increase (+24,000) in october, with gains throughout the industry.
within leisure and hospitality, job losses in arts, entertainment, and recreation (-26,000) offset gains in food services and drinking places (+24,000). so far this year, employment in food services has risen by 143,000. retail trade employment rose in october (+28,000), with gains occurring among automobile dealers (+6,000) and electronics and appliance stores (+5,000).
within the goods-producing sector, employment in mining continued to expand (+8,000), reflecting ongoing gains in support activities for mining. mining has added 88,000 jobs over the last 12 months. employment in most other major private-sector industries was little changed in october.
a 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 analysis reveals three key trends:
1. the number of hours worked per employee continues to decline and to fluctuate within narrower bands, suggesting the amount of work from clients remains in the doldrums. see chart:
- accounting and bookkeeping services, average weekly hours of all employees
2. on the other hand, average hourly earnings, despite a recent dip, are still trending upward. this suggests to 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 that employers continue to value high-performing workers while, at the same time, trimming headcounts. bottom line: it’s a very competitive job market. see chart:
3. for cpa firms, specifically, staff rosters continue to decline, both for supervisory and non-supervisory employees, more or less in tandem. the take-away: even partners and firm owners are getting squeezed out. see chart:
3 responses to “4,700 more jobless accountants this month”
accounting jobs in government
i’ve been told by both the irs and dcaa that they have many job openings for accountants. apply online at usajobs.gov.
murray hyman
accountants must know the rules; ie, tax, gaap, auditing and reporting standards without having to rely on software. they must understand the basic principles and apply them. they must recognize the politics of the big firm/small firm issues.
attending seminars does not aleviate the need to constant reading [average 2 hrs a day on the computer]
education is a full time job.
accounting jobs
great report, unfortunately still not great news. i run an accounting career portal and although we have seen an uptick in job postings i do not see a made rush to hire. i think both public and private industry continue to suffer. thanks for the honest reporting.