Here’s what you’re looking for: CPA Trendlines Research

OUTLOOK & ANALYSIS

Can We Lead Gen Z to Careers in Accountancy?

screenshotOnline campaigns are just the beginning.

By CPA Trendlines Research

Do you remember what was at the top of your mind back in high school?

A career in accountancy, right?

MORE: New AICPA Program Aims to Open Personnel Pipeline
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Right. Maybe. But probably not. You probably had other priorities. You probably didn’t even know what accountants did all day, other than wear suits and crank adding machines.
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PRO Member Exclusive

New AICPA Program Aims to Open Personnel Pipeline

Young businesswoman talking to her client and using tabletFirms are being contacted to participate.

By CPA Trendlines Research

As the leaders of CPA firms know quite well, the pipeline of incoming professionals has slowed to somewhere between a trickle and a drip.

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The causes are many:

  • The cost of higher education
  • Misconceptions about the profession
  • The difficulty of the CPA exam
  • Competition from other professions
  • Competition from corporations needing accountants

But not to worry! The American of Institute of CPAs is on the case!
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OUTLOOK & ANALYSIS

SURVEY: More Than Ever, Ethics Matter

poll response snapshotOpportunities persist for trusted advisors.

By CPA Trendlines Research

A recent Harris Poll survey conducted on behalf of the American Institute of CPAs finds that individuals in business have more concerns about ethics than ever – and the trend is rising.

In that ethics often involve money and compliance, the trend in business intersects with accountancy and the kind of consulting that accountants often offer.

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The survey segregated data for three cohorts:

Opinion Elite – people in the general public who are active in civic activities and follow business issues.

Business Leaders – full-time corporate officers or high-level managers 28 years old or older who have decision-making responsibility in companies with 500 or more employees.

Future Talent – Ages 20-30 pursuing or having a college degree and working less than 10 years.
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OUTLOOK & ANALYSIS

New Businesses Mean New Business

bar chart
What do you consider the top issue facing your business? Owners see economic uncertainty as the top issue and have started increasing cash reserves. From Gusto.

 

Some are side hustles that flourished. Seven lessons for accountants.

By CPA Trendlines Research

New businesses are burgeoning. Last year, 5 million new businesses entered the market, according to a survey from the Gusto company. Entrepreneurialism is 42 percent higher than it was just before COVID-19 hit.

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Every one of these new businesses – and they include full-time leadership as well as part-time side hustles – is a potential client for  a CPA practice. But the demographics – and thus the marketing strategies – are quite different from the historical white males who used to comprise most of the entrepreneurial cohort.
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PRO Member Exclusive

Can Better Tech Attract Personnel?

Six ways work becomes more engaging with the right tools.

By CPA Trendlines Research

One of the accounting industry’s most persistent and worsening problems is the difficulty in hiring and retaining professionals. According to the CPA Trendlines Business Barometer, 48 percent cite staffing as a critically problematic issue.

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The pipeline is part of the problem. The supply of graduates with majors in accountancy has been dropping since 2015.

Accounting firms can’t do much about the dwindling supply of professionals, but they can take action to attract those who are new to the trade.
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