The covid-19 pandemic has significantly set back and complicated the growth and activity of the UK economy — as in much of the world. In accountancy and finance, it has added another layer of complexity to and pressure on operations as the industry reels from recent scandals and prepares for Brexit and the upcoming IR35 reforms.

Post-lockdown recovery is slow with vacancies down by 39% across all sectors, year-on-year — with accountancy taking the biggest hit with a drop of 42.8%.

• Commerce and industry experienced a fall of 40.8%, while financial services proved slightly more resilient with a 29.6% drop in open positions.

• Recruitment in London is faring slightly worse than the national average, with 31% fewer vacancies compared to a year previous.

• The North East is the worst-performing region with a fall of 47%, followed by the South East (-38%) and Yorkshire (-37%) The East Midlands is displaying relative buoyancy, with a decrease of only 9.6%.

To find out more about the latest trends, download the report now!