what recession? accounting sector grows 4th month in a row; hours and wages up also

defying national trends, accounting industry expands by 2,200 jobs.

total employment in the accounting and bookkeeping sector grew by 2,200 positions in june (preliminary, seasonally-adjusted), to 933,200, the fourth straight month of gains and the highest headcount since 944,600 in december 2008, according to new government data.

the surge is being fueled by big gains in tax prep shops and in payroll services. cpa firms slimmed down after tax season, as usual, but headcounts are still running higher than a year ago.