In addition, many accounting and finance workers report confidence in job availability and in their ease of securing employment. Twenty-nine percent of adult workers in the accounting and finance profession believe more jobs are available, compared to 20 percent of adult workers in the U.S. in general. In addition, 68 percent of accounting and finance workers are confident in their ability to find a new job, versus 58 percent of U.S. workers as a whole.

"As companies continue to dedicate thousands of man hours and millions of dollars to meet compliance initiatives mandated by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the result is an incremental need for accounting and finance positions," said Eric Archer, president of Spherion Professional Services. "At the same time, the accounting and finance professions have not escaped the effects of the impending labor shortage, making it difficult for companies to find quality talent to fill those positions. These trends are no doubt influencing the high percentage of accounting and finance workers who are confident in both their ability to find a new job and positive perception of the strength of the economy. In their world, things are looking up, way up."

Results from the Spherion Accounting and Finance Employment Report:

• Seventy-nine percent of adult accounting and finance workers feel it is unlikely that their jobs will be eliminated in the next 12 months, compared to 77 percent of U.S. adult workers overall.
• Thirty-four percent of adult workers in accounting and finance said they are likely to look for a new job in the next 12 months, versus 39 percent of U.S. adult workers.
• Forty-three percent of adults working in accounting and finance positions believe that the economy is getting stronger, compared to 24 percent of U.S. adult workers.
• Twenty-nine percent of adult accounting and finance workers believe that more jobs are available, versus 20 percent of U.S. adult workers overall.
• Seventy-five percent of adult workers in accounting and finance positions feel confident in the future of their employer, compared to 62 percent of the overall U.S. adult workforce.
• Sixty-eight percent of accounting and finance workers are confident in their own ability to find a new job, while 58 percent of adult U.S. workers overall are confident.

For the full report, visit www.spherion.com