Recruitment of accountants 'absolute necessity' for Manx economy

There have been several vacant roles in the industry over the past six months

Addressing a shortage of accountants on the Isle of Man is an "absolute necessity", a leading figure in the sector has said.

A government campaign has been launched to attract qualified people to the island from the UK and Ireland.

Figures show there was an average of 47 vacancies for accountancy jobs over the past six months.

KPMG partner Simon Nicholas said recruitment was needed to tackle a "real shortage" of workers.

The Department for Enterprise (DfE) said the "targeted campaign" would "help fill skilled roles" within the island's finance sector.

The campaign includes a dedicated webpage featuring links to job opportunities and information about relocating to the island.

DfE Minister Laurence Skelly said "meeting the skills needs" of the Manx economy was "vital".

He continued: "The skills offered by qualified accountants are utilised across a wide range of the Isle of Man's business sectors and support a huge number of organisations."

The DfE said the campaign was in response to a "notable number" of unfilled jobs in the sector, which saw an average of 27 vacancies for qualified accountants and 20 unfilled roles for trainees each month.

Mr Nicholas said there was a "wealth of opportunities" in the industry in "many areas of the economy".

"There is a real shortage of accountants on the island of all levels and thus recruitment further afield is an absolute necessity," he said.