Recruitment within finance and accounting (F&A) remains resilient across the country, with employers revealing intentions to increase permanent and contract resources in the first half of 2025. That’s according to the latest data from international recruitment expert, Robert Half.

In its latest Hiring Intentions survey, the specialist in F&A recruitment found that more than half (58%) of employers are planning to increase their permanent headcount in the first half of the year. This marks a six-percentage point increase on intentions recorded in the second half of 2024.

The data also revealed that firms are increasing their reliance on contract and project staff in order to mitigate employment costs ahead of the NICs increase, without hindering business-as-usual activity. More than a third (38%) are planning to expand their contract resources in the next six months, up seven-percentage points on the final half of last year. A further 46% plan to increase their project-based hiring in the remit in H1 2025, up six-percentage points for H2 2024.

Steve Sully, Regional Director, Finance & Accounting, at Robert Half commented: “Regardless of the general sentiment around hiring in the UK as a whole, there are clearly still pockets of optimism in core sectors, with finance and accounting leading the way."

"We have seen a steady demand for permanent and temporary resources, which is unsurprising given the critical role that these professionals play in business operations."

"The growth in contract and project hiring planned for the beginning of this year is a trend we would always expect to see during periods of economic uncertainty. However, the permanent hiring statistics paint a far more positive picture for the sector than many perhaps had anticipated at the start of 2025.”

“It will be critical to monitor how these hiring plans translate into success over the next six months. We can’t ignore the fact that there are skills shortages in the remit which means firms may still find it difficult to attract the core professionals they need. In this scenario, it’s likely that we’ll see further demand for contract and project resources.”