Companies report an increased number of accounting, finance and IT job openings for both permanent and temporary positions and plan to fill the roles as soon as possible, according to the second-quarter accounting, finance and IT hiring forecast study conducted by staffing provider Brilliant and Richard Curtin, professor and director of surveys at the University of Michigan.

The increased demand for accounting/finance and IT professionals reflects a recent increase in business activity, as the majority of these positions have been available for less than three months, according to the report. Survey respondents also reported most open positions needed to be filled as soon as possible. Half of all companies also employed temporary accounting/finance and IT professionals, largely to meet specific project goals.

The survey found 39% of all companies reported vacant accounting/finance positions, up from 30% in the first-quarter hiring forecast and 28% in the fourth-quarter forecast. Unfilled IT positions grew more rapidly, with 58% of survey participants reporting vacant IT positions, up from 37% in the previous forecast and 33% in the fourth quarter 2014 hiring forecast.

Unchanged from the first-quarter outlook, 15% of the second-quarter study participants said their companies planned to increase the number of temporary or contract accounting/finance professionals from what they were already utilizing, However, the second-quarter survey data indicates more than twice as many survey respondents intend to hire temporary IT staff; Overall, 35 percent plan to hire temporary IT staff, nearly double the 18% recorded in the previous two quarters.

For accounting/finance, 8% of survey respondents indicated their companies needed temporary professionals for specific projects and 5% to fill in-demand roles. The emphasis on specific project needs was more dominant for temporary IT staff, mentioned by 23%.

The survey included almost 400 human resources professionals and hiring managers. It was conducted between Jan. 27 and Feb. 9, 2015.