growth slowdown: tax & accounting hiring rates hit headwinds

women leaving payroll agencies in huge numbers.

by beth bellor
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

growth in the tax & accounting sector continues, but at a snail’s pace, with figures like 0.3 percent dotting the plus side.

more on jobs: steady gains in hiring at accounting firms | accounting wages set new recordall staffed up? new tax prep hiring stalls on eve of busy season | the myth of the staff shortage | wages up, headcounts down at tax & accounting firms
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in this report, 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 highlights:

  • current hiring trends in each of the bookkeeping, payroll, tax and cpa segments of the industry.
  • average hourly wages for key segments
  • typical hours worked per week
  • trends concerning women in the accounting workforce


declines showed up in payroll hours, overall staff hours, and employee numbers for cpa firm staff and tax preparation services.

in july, the national unemployment rate edged down by 0.1 percentage point to 3.9 percent, following an increase in june, according to the latest data from 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research. the number of unemployed persons declined by 284,000 to 6.3 million in july. both measures were down over the year, by 0.4 percentage point and 676,000, respectively.

job gains occurred in professional and business services, which increased by 51,000 in july and has risen by 518,000 over the year.

chart of overall profession employment
^ overall profession employment

all employees

overall employment in the accounting profession reached 1,008,200 in july, up 2,500 or 0.2 percent for the month and 11,300 or 1.1 percent for the year. employees worked an average 36 hours per week, up 6 minutes or 0.3 percent for the month and 36 minutes or 1.7 percent for the year. they averaged $33.21 per hour, up 7 cents or 0.2 percent for the month and $1.29 or 4 percent for the year.

chart of hourly earnings, year over year
^ overall hourly earnings

staff

staff numbered 757,800, up 1,900 or 0.3 percent for the month and 2,700 or 0.4 percent for the year. they averaged 34.1 weekly hours, down 6 minutes or 0.3 percent for the month and year. they earned $26.09, up 8 cents or 0.3 percent for the month and 92 cents or 3.7 percent for the year.

chart of overall staff hourly earnings, year over year
^ overall staff hourly earnings

cpa firms, all employees

cpa firms employed 483,400, up 300 or 0.1 percent for the month and 7,000 or 1.5 percent for the year. workers put in 37.3 hours, up 12 minutes or 0.5 percent for the month and an hour or 2.8 percent for the year. they made $35.69, up 11 cents or 0.3 percent for the month and $1.25 or 3.6 percent for the year.

cpa firms, staff

staff at cpa firms numbered 349,400, down 800 or 0.2 percent for the month and 3,800 or 1.1 percent for the year. they worked 36.2 hours, up 6 minutes or 0.3 percent for the month and 54 minutes or 2.5 percent for the year. they earned an average $26.84 an hour, down 19 cents or 0.7 percent for the month but up 17 cents or 0.6 percent for the year.

chart of overall hourly earnings at cpa firms
^ overall hourly earnings at cpa firms

tax prep

tax preparation services employed 92,300, down 1,500 or 1.6 percent for the month and 2,900 or 3 percent for the year.

payroll agencies

there were 172,000 in payroll services, up 200 or 0.1 percent for the month and 4,700 or 2.8 percent for the year. they averaged 35.2 hours, down 6 minutes or 0.3 percent for the month and 30 minutes or 1.4 percent for the year. hourly earnings at $30.28 were down 3 cents or 0.1 percent for the month but up 50 cents or 1.7 percent for the year.

chart of staff hourly earnings at payroll services
^ staff hourly earnings at payroll services

payroll staff totaled 144,200, down 200 or 0.1 percent for the month but up 4,000 or 2.9 percent for the year. they worked 34.7 hours, down 18 minutes or 0.9 percent for the month and 54 minutes or 2.5 percent for the year. they made $26.76, up a nickel or 0.2 percent for the month and $1.36 or 5.4 percent for the year.

bookkeeping

other accounting services employ 257,500, up 1,200 or 0.5 percent for the month and 4,600 or 1.8 percent for the year.

chart of women in payroll services
^ women in payroll services

women

women in the profession numbered 630,200, down 1,000 or 0.2 percent for the month but up 14,200 or 2.3 percent for the year. at cpa firms there were 294,400 women, down 200 or 0.1 percent for the month but up 1,000 or 0.3 percent for the year. women in payroll numbered 85,200, down 300 or 0.4 percent for the month but up 10,000 or a jaw-dropping 13.3 percent for the year.