The total number of job postings for chartered and certified accountants stood at 17,711 in December, down 9.1% from the previous month, which represents a drop of 1,611 positions.

Finance roles were also hit with investment analyst and advisor roles down 9.5% at 11,442 advertised jobs, down by 1,087 job listings in the space of a month.

Year on year there was a 12.6% decline for certified accountants and a 14.7% decline in active job postings for finance and investment analysts and advisers.