Monday 3rd August, 2015

Growing SME businesses and increased demand for newly qualified accountants are driving accounting and finance job numbers up, new figures from specialist recruiter Robert Walters reveal.

Figures from the Robert Walters UK Jobs Index, which charts vacancy numbers posted to online platforms, show that the strongest growth was in the North West, with 16% growth in job volumes in the second quarter of this year compared to the same time last year. London and the South East also saw positive growth at 5%.

Compared to the first quarter of 2015, the number of vacancies was up 13%. Regionally, over the same period, London and the South East saw growth of 10%, the Midlands 13% and North West England 13%.  

Andrew Setchell, Director, comments:

“Businesses in the last few years which have held back on hiring are now coming to market. In light of the economic upturn we are seeing significantly more fluidity in the market.

“Property, retail, support services and media continue to outperform as vertical markets. Demand is highest for newly qualified professionals to those with up to four years experience.

“Moving into the third quarter, we expect market conditions to remain positive, mirroring the growing economy.”

Marcus Blackburn, Associate Director, comments on the growth seen in the North West

“After a recession, small and medium-sized companies are often cited as the ‘engine rooms’ of economic growth and this has been a particularly buoyant area for recruitment. With many businesses experiencing an improved cash flow we have also seen a particular increase in permanent hires.

“We expect there to be a high volume of roles available for candidates with the right skills. Role and disciplines which will help an organisation achieve revenue growth, such as sales, marketing and commercial finance, have been particularly busy.”