added january 19th 2010
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Nearly Three Quarters of Finance Professionals Say They Will Look For A New Job In 2010

Levels of optimism are much higher than six months ago among finance professionals and their employers, according to the 2010 Reed Accountancy & Reed Finance Salary and Benefits Guide - which polled over 200,000 jobseekers and 40,000 employers in a wide range of sectors across the UK.

With 59% of employers optimistic about improving trading conditions and 71% of individuals saying they intend to look for a new role in 2010, retention of key finance staff will be a challenge across the public sector, private sector and also within accountancy firms this year.

Despite last year's much-publicised pay cuts and pay freezes, the majority of finance professionals reported receiving slight pay increases (1.5 to 2.5% on average).  Pay rates in the public sector rose by the most (between 2.5 and 3%).  The recession created increased demand for more specialist finance roles - in particular within audit, recovery, restructuring and change management.

2010 - a year of change

Even though 43% of individuals said they felt secure within their current position, with growing levels of confidence there is likely to be a rise in the movement of finance professionals between organisations throughout 2010.

The survey uncovered notable discrepancies between the perceptions of employers and employees:  71% of employers said they believed their employees were loyal to their organisation.  Meanwhile, while only 25% of employees felt that they are rewarded adequately in their current role - suggesting that pay rates will become an increasingly important factor in a 'war for talent retention' in the coming year.

Financial analysis, financial risk management and compliance will continue to be key skills in demand during 2010, while  aspiring jobseekers will be attracted to perceived fast-growth sectors such as energy (from nuclear to renewables), digital technology and online media.

Reed Finance Director Tim Vye commented: "With the UK emerging steadily out of recession and a general election before the summer, 2010 may be an uncertain year for some employers.  However, recruiting and retaining the best finance talent will be a priority as the job market moves away from being employer-driven.

"2010 will also mean fresh changes for finance professionals in all market sectors.  64% of respondents in our survey said the role of the accountant has changed significantly over recent years, with a far greater need for people skills, strategic thinking and commercial acumen."       

Recruitment within Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) has shown encouraging increases recently.  Many employers are increasingly looking for finance professionals with 'future boardroom potential'.

While 2009 saw a move towards the public sector for many finance professionals, 2010 is expected to see the private sector regain its attraction.  Major corporates and SMEs alike are accelerating their hiring plans and creating some brand new, interesting and rewarding opportunities.

- Ends -

About the Reed Accountancy and Reed Finance Salary & Benefits Guide 2010

The full survey can be accessed online at:

·         http://www.reedpressoffice.co.uk/surveys/ and

·         http://www.reedglobal.com/oneguide

About Reed Finance

Reed Finance specialises in the recruitment of senior and executive-level finance professionals, both permanent and interim, across all industry sectors.

Through a national network of branches, Reed Finance provides tailored recruitment solutions based upon individual client requirements. Reed Finance attracts new senior-level jobseekers every month and has access to an unrivalled database, including over one third of all accountants within the UK.

About Reed Specialist Recruitment

Reed Specialist Recruitment is part of Reed Global, which also includes Europe's biggest jobsite - reed.co.uk; one of the world's leading Welfare To Work providers - Reed In Partnership; and the UK's learning provider of the year - Reed Learning.

Founded in 1960, Reed is a specialist provider of permanent, contract, temporary and outsourced recruitment solutions, and IT and HR consulting. Reed operates in Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific and has more than 3,000 permanent employees working out of 400 offices worldwide across 30 specialisms.

reedglobal.com enables clients to interact with our recruitment services and jobseekers to search for opportunities across multiple industry sectors around the world. reed.co.uk receives over 1.5 million job applications per month.

Reed is passionate about the environment, has an award-winning environmental programme and continues to maintain its Carbon Neutral (R) status and commitment to being Carbon Responsible.

For further information please contact

Adrian Linden - PR Manager, Reed Press Office

P: +44 (0)845 241 9249

E: press.office@reedglobal.com

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