According to the AICPA’s 2019 “Trends in the Supply of Accounting Graduates and the Demand for Public Accounting Recruits” report, CPA firms hired about 11% fewer accounting graduates in 2018 than in 2016 and about 30% fewer than in 2014.
The change is attributed to an increased demand for technical abilities. Firms are turning to nonaccounting graduates with data science and data analytics skills.
The “Trends” report also details accounting program enrollment figures and the effects of CPA Exam changes. Read more about the report here.