By Paige Roache, published 7 December 2025
From where I sit, it’s clear that the UK’s accounting, audit and tax sectors are heading into a serious talent crunch. I’m seeing far fewer Gen Z candidates showing interest in the traditional training pathways, and the reasons are difficult to ignore. Many younger people tell me the long hours, exam pressures and repetitive early-career work simply don’t match their expectations around wellbeing, flexibility and meaningful work. The alternative routes which many are choosing are changing this landscape.
I also can’t overlook the economic pressures shaping these decisions. With today’s minimum wage, young people can earn almost the same starting pay in retail or hospitality without university debt or years of exams. Many of them are carrying £40k–£50k in student loans, so they’re understandably cautious about roles that offer modest starting salaries and slow early progression. When a logistics apprenticeship pays £28k by the second year or a hospitality worker can make £30k with overtime, a trainee audit role at £22k–£25k becomes a much tougher sell.
At the same time, the firms themselves are battling rising costs, something I see repeatedly when working with clients. Business rates have gone up, energy bills have soared, and regulatory demands continue to increase without matching fee growth. Mid-tier firms, especially, are squeezed between clients pushing for low fees and trainees wanting better pay and support. It leaves little room to modernise working conditions or lighten workloads, even though that’s exactly what would attract more young people.
This shift is having a direct impact on recruitment, too. I’m finding that the pool of trainee and newly qualified candidates is shrinking, hiring cycles are lengthening, and counteroffers are becoming routine. Instead of simply matching candidates to roles, I’m having to advise firms on how to redesign jobs, highlight genuine flexibility and promote stronger wellbeing and study-support packages. Recruiters can no longer rely on a steady flow of graduates—we have to help reshape the proposition.
Despite all of this, I also see an opportunity. If firms embrace hybrid working, reduce the heavy administrative burden through automation, and offer clearer, more engaging career development, I believe the profession can rebuild its appeal. Gen Z aren’t rejecting accountancy itself, they’re rejecting outdated approaches around it. If we adapt now, we can help create a more modern, sustainable and attractive industry for the next generation.
