SUPPLY & DEMAND

The 2009 Trends in the Supply of Accounting Graduates and the Demand for Public Accounting Recruits looks at current trends in accounting education and the hiring marketplace.

• Accounting enrollments are up 4.7% since 2007.
• Minorities comprise 25.5% of bachelor’s enrollments:
  • 11.5% Black/African-American
  • 7% Asian
  • 6% Hispanic/Latino
  • 1% American Indian/Alaskan Native
• 53% of students were female and 47% male: this is down from a high in 2002 of 57% female and 43% male.
• Schools anticipate a reduction in enrollments: 41% expect lower enrollments at the bachelor’s level, while 22% expect decreases at the master’s level.

Key Findings: Graduates

• Total graduates were up 3.5% over the previous year. This is the highest number of graduates since the survey began in 1971-72.
• Bachelor’s degrees granted were 48,968 (up from 47,662 in 2006-07) and master’s degrees granted were 17,491 (up from 16,559 in 2006-07).
• Of the master’s degrees awarded, 85% are master’s in Accounting and 8% are master’s in Taxation, down from 16% the previous year.
• Public accounting firms remain the primary employer for new graduates; they hire 35% of bachelor’s and 74% of master’s degree recipients.

Key Findings: Hiring

• Hires by CPA firms tailed off considerably as the economy deteriorated in 2007-08.
• Firms with 50-200 CPAs actually increased their hiring during 2007-08 while the larger and smaller firms decreased their hiring.
• Overall hiring for 2008-09 is expected to be the same (64%) or lower (26%) compared to this year.
• New hires at CPA firms were 55% female and 45% male, a 3% swing from the previous year.
• Diversity of new hires was:
  • 12% Asian
  • 4% Black/African-American
  • 4% Hispanic/Latino
  • 1% Native American/Alaskan Native