Financial Assets

>>Some companies are finding that when it comes to hiring accountants, the numbers just aren’t adding up. Although the economy has helped boost the number of qualified applicants for some accounting jobs in Southwest Florida, specialized positions are still hard to fill locally and nationally.

"With the economy the way it is, there are more people in the labor market that maybe left public accounting and went into private [accounting] ascomptrollers and CEOs, and they’re looking for jobs. They’re willing to come back into the public accounting sector," says Gail Markham, founding partner of Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Co., which has 22 professionals in Fort Myers and Naples. "Definitely there’s more availability of experienced accountants."

An abundance of candidates in the area has saved her from having to pay a headhunter to conduct a national search.

The economy has freed up some candidates, but some positions sought within private companies still are experiencing shortages, says Jason Cave, manager of the Naples office of Robert Half International. The accountant and financing staffing services firm works with small- to mid-sized companies in the medical, construction, manufacturing, banking, financial, legal and hospitality industries. Specialized jobs, such as a cost accountant with a manufacturing background, for example, are tough to fill, he says.

The 2008 Salary Guide by Robert Half International shows the greatest need in the South Atlantic region is for qual-
ified staff accountants, senior accountants and internal auditors. Firms around
the world are experiencing the same shortages, according to the California-based firm.