Competition for accountancy talent "getting fiercer"

The war for talent is getting more heated within the accountancy sector, according to the publisher of Accountancy magazine.

Martin Casimir, managing director of publisher CCH, told the publication that the international job market for accountants is competitive and that immigration rules should be relaxed to help fill the skills shortage.

"Competition for accountant talent, both in the UK and internationally, is getting fiercer," he said.

"But unless greater value is placed on accountancy qualifications, this programme is unlikely to make it any easier in reality for many highly-skilled applicants to be accepted."

The accounting and tax information group claimed that barriers for migrants wishing to enter the UK under the Highly Skilled Migrants Programme are "incredibly high".

In related news, the magazine also recently reported that, according to a BMRB survey, accountancy is the fourth most popular career choice in the UK.