The accounting industry faces new recruitment hurdles as states advance education reforms meant to ease access to careers in the field.
At least four states are poised to weigh revised education mandates offering prospective accountants options to earn their license with fewer classroom hours and more on-the-job experience. New Hampshire and Missouri are among states that have already filed licensure reform bills for the legislative season that starts in January.
More states could soon follow. The industry’s largest trade group, the American Institute of CPAs, expects as many as 22 will introduce measures in 2026 that would ...