Demand for qualified accountants in the UK to work on a contract basis within commerce and industry rose by 44% between November 2016 and November 2017, according to market analysis from specialist recruiter, Global Accounting Network.

The analysis from Global Accounting Network reports that the increase in demand comes as organisations increasingly look to bring on board specialist expertise to arm themselves against future uncertainty, including Brexit.

“2017 saw a strong increase in demand for interim accounting professionals and we expect this trend to continue in 2018,” Hugh Spurling, Head of Interim Services at Global Accounting Network said. “This can largely be attributed to external market conditions, with businesses possibly unwilling to commit to permanent headcount costs against the current landscape and choosing instead to invest in flexible resources, until there is more certainty.”

“The clients we work with continue to seek professionals to oversee transformation programmes and systems implementation, which is positive for market confidence moving into 2018,” Spurling said. “However, a rise in vacancies for Financial Planning & Analysis is indicative of the steps businesses are taking to mitigate against future uncertainty by ensuring that they have the data they need to inform decision making and long term strategies.”