73% of firms ‘turn away work’ due to staff shortages, study finds

The latest Global Accounting Talent Index has revealed that 73% of accounting firms are turning away work, given a shortage of qualified staff.

The survey of 500 accountants across the UK, Canada, Australia and the US found that 33% ‘strongly’ agreed and 40% ‘somewhat’ agreed that talent shortage was having a “severe impact” on their firm.

The findings also showed that 71% of respondents believe they could grow faster if they had access to more experienced staff, suggesting that demand exists but firms are unable to capitalise on it.

In turn, the talent shortage is having a direct impact on firms and their employees, given a higher workload for existing members of staff. Some 23% of respondents have experienced increased burnout due to the talent shortage, and 26% are considering leaving the profession altogether.

For the UK, whilst the flow of new talent remains restricted, accountancy firms have spent the last year strengthening sustainability measures long-term. However, this has seen an increase in staffing costs and uncertain economic costs are amongst the biggest issues. The Austin Rose 2026 salary survey stated: “While these pressures have constrained confidence, they have also forced firms to become more disciplined, focused and commercially aware.”

Outsourcing and offshoring are becoming a mainstream solution, with many teams using external teams to deal with capacity shortages. Some 24% of firms reported delivering positive results. This is amongst the wide range of tactics and strategies are being used to manage talent pipelines, improve workflows and processes, and support existing staff.