Chief financial officers in the Washington region expect a slight reduction in hiring in the third quarter of 2006, according to a nationwide survey of CFOs released Wednesday.
About 7 percent of those surveyed expect to add accounting and financing staff between July and August, down from 8 percent during the second quarter survey. Nationwide, about 4 percent of CFOs say they will add new financial employees.
About 200 CFOs in the Washington region responded to the survey, which included 1,400 executives nationwide. Business growth was the top reason for expanding accounting staffs, followed by increased workloads.
“Companies that are moving forward with new projects seek accounting personnel to support growth initiatives,” said Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International, the global staffing firm that commissioned the quarterly survey. “The rising demand with certain specialties has led to competition for top talent and in many cases employers are expediting their hiring processes to avoid losing strong candidates to other opportunities.”
