It began in college, continued in law school, and still exists today, my fascination with court and disciplinary opinions that provide an inside view of something the involved parties would rather had never come to light. The most recent one is a PCAOB disciplinary order involving an accountant who worked for KPMG.

If you think the U.S. is the only country grappling with a shortage of accounting professionals, think again.A recent survey released by staffing concern Robert Half International revealed that the drought of human capital in accounting and finance isn’t improving — both here and abroad.

The difference between a rhetorical question and a survey question is someone answers. Before we find out what type of question my title is, here’s why I posed it. Firms find about how other firms operate in a number of ways. It might be from contact with partners in other firms; via membership in groups, organizations, or societies; by hiring consultants; or possibly by reading about other firms in professional publications.

The Texas Society of CPAs opened an interactive section of its Web site called Destination CPA aimed at high school and college students.

Intuit has introduced a Web-based payroll system for small businesses.

We come across many surveys in our work, especially on the Internet. One of my most recent favorites posed the following question, “Is your firm, or one or more of its professionals, a recognized thought leader?”

Business software provider Sage Software has begun offering paycards as a way for companies to distribute paychecks to their employees.

The continuing business boom, rising client demand and the movement of tax professionals toward other accounting niches has generated varied responses to staffing needs, as firms turn to remote technology, outsourcing, part-time former employees and retirees and college students to fill the personnel void.Meanwhile, the overall demand for accountants has dried up the available supply of tax professionals, according to industry observers.

Two surveys of job confidence among accounting and finance workers offered conflicting views.

Staffing needs are the top concern of CPA firms, according to a newly released survey by the American Institute of CPAs.

Private sector employment increased by 106,000 in October, according to data from payroll processor ADP.

Women's roles at CPA firms came under scrutiny during the Joint National Conference, a collaborative event coordinated by the American Society of Women Accountants and the American Woman's Society of CPAs.

Awards went out to women who have done extraordinary work in the accounting profession at a lunchtime ceremony during the Joint National Conference, a three-day event organized by the American Woman's Society of CPAs and American Society of Women Accountants.

Accounting firms in Southern California are trying to cope with the wildfires raging across the region, in many cases shutting down or relocating.

The American Institute of CPAs outlined its strategic plan and priorities at its Fall Meeting of Council and Annual Members’ Meeting.

Starting salaries for accounting and finance professionals will increase an average of 4.3 percent in the year ahead, predicted the 2008 Salary Guide from staffing firm Robert Half International.

Automatic Data Processing's Small Business Services division released an online payroll system aimed at accountants who service small businesses.

Two thirds of U.S. workers who call in sick at the last minute do so for reasons other than physical illness, according to a new survey.

Barry Melancon has been leading the American Institute of CPAs since 1995. As president and CEO of the AICPA, he has been keeping busy on a number of fronts this past year. The Institute has been working with Congress on patent reform to keep tax strategy patents from taking hold. Another priority has been CPA mobility, so CPAs face fewer regulatory barriers when practicing across different states. Melancon has also been closely involved with the effort to move toward Extensible Business Reporting Language for financial statements, spearheading an initiative to assign data tags to generally accepted accounting principles. He was recently named co-vice chair of the Center for Audit Quality and to a position on the Treasury Department's new Advisory Committee on the Audit Profession. Melancon is also a member of the AICPA's delegation to the International Federation of Accountants. His accounting career began in 1979 at Bergeron & Co. in Louisiana. Before joining the AICPA, he served for eight years as executive director of the Society of Louisiana CPAs.

Employers around the world are worried about the shortage of accounting and finance talent, according to a newly released survey.