OUTLOOK & ANALYSIS

SURVEY: 42% of Accountants Turn Away Work Over Staff Shortages

bar chart
Complete answers include “We’re turning away work because of it,” “We’re outsourcing at least some work” and “We’re upgrading comp & benefits packages.”

 

Survey respondents offer their strategies.

By CPA Trendlines Research

The most shocking stat to come out of early results in the CPA Trendlines Outlook 2024 Emerging Issues, Opportunities and Trends survey is also the most painful.

It’s this: 42 percent of responding firms are turning away work for lack of staff.

MORE: Ethics on Sustainability Puzzle Some Accountants | Accountants to the Rescue as Startups Struggle | Talent Gap Widening: Be Very Scared | Accountants Hopeful, Concerned and Confused about AI | Looking for Recent Grads? Good Luck | CPA Biz Is Booming, But for How Long?
GoProCPA.comExclusively for PRO Members. Log in here or upgrade to PRO today.

That’s a big ouch for firms that have spent time, effort and money on marketing, only to find that they can’t reap the results.

Data is still coming in from firms across the continent (and a few from across the ocean), but the trend is definitely toward critical. And the prognosis isn’t good.