Multiple signs indicate that the push to reform the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensing systemThe accounting talent shortageis easing, with some finance teams leveraging artificial intelligence and outsourcing to achieve the same work with fewer staff.

However, experts told CFO Dive that this does not mean the labor problem is fully resolved, nor that companies can easily hire accountants. The actual state of the accounting talent market varies significantly by industry, geography, and the level of candidate experience companies require.

This month, CFO Dive conducted aninformal LinkedIn pollto gather readers' direct feedback on the current state of the accounting shortage. Among 14 respondents, results were mixed but leaned toward the issue persisting: 64% said their industry faces an accounting shortage, while 29% reported no shortage.

In response to the poll results, Alexandria Romero, director of the CPA pipeline program at the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), said the AICPA has received similar feedback. Romero noted that while the association sees "encouraging signs" of easing labor pressure in some areas, demand for accounting and CPA talent remains strong.

In an email to CFO Dive, Romero stated: "The labor market is not 'one-size-fits-all.' Some large accounting firms may receive a high volume of applications for certain positions, while many small and mid-sized firms, industry organizations, and employers in specific geographic markets still face challenges in attracting and hiring qualified talent."

Jack Castonguay, an accounting professor at Hofstra University in New York, believes the poll may skew toward respondents from small and mid-sized firms, which often find it harder to hire staff. Such firms traditionally rely on talent flowing out of Big Four training programs, but the Big Four now hire fewer entry-level accountants. Additionally, small and mid-sized firms are slower than larger peers in adopting AI, further increasing their demand for human labor.

Castonguay stated clearly: "I do think that at large firms, the accounting shortage is over."

National efforts to relax CPA licensing requirements to address the shortage have also gained strong support in many rural areas still struggling with a lack of accountants.

Sadie Fischesser, executive director of the Vermont Society of CPAs, previously told CFO Dive: "In Vermont, the shortage is very real. Our population is shrinking, and a significant number of members retire each year."

In Vermont and nationwide, the accountant workforce is indeed shrinking. Fischesser told CFO Dive in June that Vermont had a total of1,200 CPAsin fiscal year 2025, up about 50 from the prior year, but well below the peak of about 1,400 in 2019.

Nationally, data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that as of May 2025, the U.S. had1.45 million accountants and auditorscompared to1.58 million in the same period last year。