Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Accounting Grads are More in Demand Than Ever, But When Does it End?

Like most topics, we've discussed this ad nauseam but it's a slow Tuesday so why not attack it again?

Here's our jump off point from CPA Trendlines:

Bolstering reports of a suddenly surging profession with a high demand for top talent, CPA firms are hiring a record number of graduates.

At the same time, the pipeline of accounting students is bulging, suggesting to some that the continuing high demand for new recruits can be met by newly minted graduates for the next few years.

Awesome, right? JOBS, JOBS, JOBS. The firms are always on the lookout for not only top talent but any accounting grad with a pulse and fewer than 3 DUIs. Seems like a win-win for everyone, really.

Back in 2010, Barry Melancon was more than happy to point out that a record number of candidates sat for the exam in 2009 when Prometric, the AICPA and NASBA all joined hands to sing Kumbaya over signing a new agreement that would bond the 3 organizations in holy CPA exam matrimony at least through 2024.

Let's pull up the 2013 Trends in Accounting report from the AICPA if you need a quick refresher:

Now, I wouldn't call that Peak Accounting Grad or anything but a reasonable person might ask themselves out loud if demand for accounting grads is infinite or if one day in the not-so-distant future, interns will be replaced by robots, rendering new grads obsolete.

 

That's great and all but let's not even discuss the shortage of qualified accounting professors.

At some point, something's got to give.