Accounting and finance pros in high demand

Employers worldwide are reporting significant difficulties finding skilled accounting and financial professionals to fill company vacancies, according to a survey by Robert Half International. The survey of 5,000 finance and HR managers around the globe found that more than half of HR managers reported difficulty finding suitably skilled job candidates, while 43 percent of those surveyed said they had concerns over top performers leaving for better job opportunities. The crunch has been felt the most in Asia, where more than 80 percent of respondents in Japan and Hong Kong reported finding skilled financial professionals was a challenge. In this country, the greatest difficulty was in hiring for executive positions.