Occupation shortage list highlights ongoing accounting workforce challenges

Damian Ogden

Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) has welcomed the inclusion of taxation accountants and external auditors on the latest Jobs and Skills Australia Occupation Shortage List, as it reflects persistent workforce challenges identified by the profession.

While overall labour market shortages have eased, the continued inclusion of key accounting occupations highlights ongoing difficulties attracting skilled professionals in areas critical to business confidence, governance and economic growth.

The findings also reinforce broader concerns about the profession’s workforce pipeline, with research commissioned by CA ANZ and conducted by Oxford Economics Australia forecasting a shortage of almost 18,000 accounting, audit, tax and finance professionals by 2035.

Damian Ogden, Group Executive Advocacy, Public and Government Affairs at CA ANZ, said the latest data showed accounting shortages remain an important economic and productivity issue.

“Australia’s need for specialist accounting expertise continues to outpace supply. Without action to strengthen the talent pipeline, workforce pressures will only intensify in the years ahead,” Mr Ogden said.

“These professionals help underpin business confidence, financial integrity and tax compliance. Persistent shortages in these roles create risks that extend well beyond the profession itself.”

CA ANZ’s member survey, submitted to Jobs and Skills Australia as part of its consultation process, identified likely shortages of taxation accountants and external auditors. It also pointed to ongoing challenges attracting general accountants, despite the occupation receiving a qualified ‘no shortage’ rating in the latest list.

External auditors remain among the profession’s hardest roles to recruit, with members reporting these vacancies take the longest to fill due to shortages of experienced professionals and specialist skills.

Mr Ogden said the findings should prompt a renewed focus on the accounting workforce pipeline.

“As workforce pressures ease in other sectors, there is an opportunity to focus on specialist shortages that can constrain productivity, investment and economic growth,” Mr Ogden said.

“This is not a challenge without solutions. Building the workforce Australia needs will require coordinated action from government, educators, employers and the profession, because Australia’s productivity depends on having the right skills in the right places.”