Market Insights 2019 | Specialist Markets, London

Corporate Finance & Transactional Services

The hiring boom that characterised the early part of 2019 for the corporate finance space in Europe has sadly not been replicated in London. Centres such as Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Paris and Frankfurt have become the European destinations preferred for expansion by multiple London based advisory and investment banking firms.

Accounts & Assurance

Despite the economic uncertainty caused by Brexit, 2018 was a positive year for practice recruitment with a steady demand across external audit and assurance. This trend continues into 2019, with scarcity of talent across all of professional services, jobseekers are in a strong bargaining position and able to weigh up multiple offers. Noticeably, firms who are providing study support packages and clear progression are seeing better staff retention rates – a factor which has also contributed to the shortage of candidates overall.

Internal Audit

The internal audit market has remained stable throughout this year, with increased activity at senior level. The turnaround at this level has been quick with candidates eager to make their next move, as well as more passive candidates expressing interest.

Taxation

It was a buoyant year last year for opportunities within the various tax specialisms. The introduction of MTG (Making Tax Digital) coming into effect at the turn of the year, combined with preparations around Brexit, resulted in a shift in hiring trends and the establishment of new skill sets. The introduction of US tax reform has also led to a strong focus on business tax advisory teams within in-house functions.

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