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Is AI reshaping accounting careers?
Built from the labor-market data I use to study layoffs, occupational mobility, and workforce transitions, this interactive research demonstration is intended to spark research ideas about layoffs in the AI era. It highlights an open question: whether AI is replacing accounting and finance positions and, if so, whether that substitution is contributing to broader waves of layoffs. The patterns shown here are a starting point for investigation, not evidence that AI caused any observed change.
WARN records by recorded layoff year
Annual notice counts, firm counts, and missing data
| Year | Notices | Reported employees | Count available | Count missing | Recorded zero | Median notice size | Known firms | Known firm-quarter events | Notices missing gvkey | Notices without public link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2,039 | 218,478 | 2,002 | 37 | 1 | 69 | 288 | 369 | 1,346 | 1,194 |
| 2016 | 2,233 | 207,359 | 1,892 | 341 | 7 | 72 | 305 | 414 | 1,563 | 1,341 |
| 2017 | 2,182 | 200,167 | 1,892 | 290 | 4 | 71 | 285 | 368 | 1,519 | 1,338 |
| 2018 | 2,871 | 267,190 | 2,504 | 367 | 8 | 74 | 326 | 430 | 2,131 | 1,883 |
| 2019 | 3,077 | 287,367 | 2,745 | 332 | 9 | 65 | 351 | 461 | 2,356 | 2,103 |
| 2020 | 17,765 | 2,068,994 | 15,731 | 2,034 | 34 | 65 | 603 | 835 | 15,508 | 14,441 |
| 2021 | 2,079 | 207,643 | 2,056 | 23 | 15 | 63 | 215 | 269 | 1,612 | 1,459 |
| 2022 | 2,110 | 206,481 | 2,103 | 7 | 8 | 60 | 224 | 268 | 1,631 | 1,490 |
| 2023 | 4,382 | 391,785 | 4,335 | 47 | 28 | 47 | 395 | 537 | 3,127 | 2,659 |
| 2024 | 4,585 | 354,710 | 4,555 | 30 | 8 | 42 | 391 | 525 | 3,486 | 3,059 |
| 2025 | 5,384 | 405,256 | 5,330 | 54 | 11 | 36 | 351 | 494 | 4,038 | 3,511 |
Annual notice counts, firm counts, and missing data
| Year | Notices | Reported employees | Count available | Count missing | Recorded zero | Median notice size | Known firms | Known firm-quarter events | Notices missing gvkey | Notices without public link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 845 | 90,457 | 832 | 13 | 0 | 74 | 288 | 369 | 152 | 0 |
| 2016 | 892 | 81,513 | 759 | 133 | 2 | 70 | 305 | 414 | 222 | 0 |
| 2017 | 844 | 81,557 | 747 | 97 | 0 | 69 | 285 | 368 | 181 | 0 |
| 2018 | 988 | 103,809 | 891 | 97 | 0 | 75 | 326 | 430 | 248 | 0 |
| 2019 | 974 | 99,514 | 873 | 101 | 1 | 70 | 351 | 461 | 253 | 0 |
| 2020 | 3,324 | 487,234 | 3,028 | 296 | 7 | 73 | 603 | 835 | 1,067 | 0 |
| 2021 | 620 | 83,678 | 606 | 14 | 5 | 71.5 | 215 | 269 | 153 | 0 |
| 2022 | 620 | 56,584 | 618 | 2 | 3 | 58 | 224 | 268 | 141 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1,723 | 169,933 | 1,705 | 18 | 15 | 49 | 395 | 537 | 468 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1,526 | 141,786 | 1,521 | 5 | 0 | 53 | 391 | 525 | 427 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1,873 | 137,467 | 1,847 | 26 | 1 | 30 | 351 | 494 | 527 | 0 |
Where do accountants go after leaving?
2015–2025 WARN events · All observed accounting departures
Occupation details
| Next position | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting and auditing | 14,448 | 27.9% |
| Financial Managers (11-3031) | 9,017 | 17.4% |
| Financial Risk Specialists (13-2054) | 1,173 | 2.3% |
| Financial and Investment Analysts (13-2051) | 1,102 | 2.1% |
| Billing and Posting Clerks (43-3021) | 983 | 1.9% |
| Data Scientists (15-2051) | 954 | 1.8% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other (15-1299) | 778 | 1.5% |
| Tax Preparers (13-2082) | 668 | 1.3% |
| Managers, All Other (11-9199) | 451 | 0.9% |
| Information Security Analysts (15-1212) | 379 | 0.7% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other (13-1199) | 343 | 0.7% |
| Remaining occupations · pooled small groups | 8,307 | 16.1% |
| Unknown | 13,143 | 25.4% |
Counts are person-events; a person may appear more than once. Departures occur in the WARN event quarter or the next quarter. Destinations use the next recorded position within four quarters; percentages include all departures. Unknown combines unclassified roles or employers, no next position, and incomplete follow-up. Small annual occupational groups remain pooled. O*NET titles describe recorded six-digit occupations, not changes in seniority. These records do not identify individual layoffs, unemployment, or AI effects.
2015 WARN events · All observed accounting departures
Occupation details
| Next position | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting and auditing | 1,337 | 33.3% |
| Financial Managers (11-3031) | 818 | 20.4% |
| Financial Risk Specialists (13-2054) | 87 | 2.2% |
| Financial and Investment Analysts (13-2051) | 81 | 2.0% |
| Billing and Posting Clerks (43-3021) | 77 | 1.9% |
| Data Scientists (15-2051) | 45 | 1.1% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other (15-1299) | 54 | 1.3% |
| Tax Preparers (13-2082) | 74 | 1.8% |
| Managers, All Other (11-9199) | 34 | 0.8% |
| Information Security Analysts (15-1212) | 29 | 0.7% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other (13-1199) | 18 | 0.4% |
| Remaining occupations · pooled small groups | 600 | 14.9% |
| Unknown | 761 | 19.0% |
Counts are person-events; a person may appear more than once. Departures occur in the WARN event quarter or the next quarter. Destinations use the next recorded position within four quarters; percentages include all departures. Unknown combines unclassified roles or employers, no next position, and incomplete follow-up. Small annual occupational groups remain pooled. O*NET titles describe recorded six-digit occupations, not changes in seniority. These records do not identify individual layoffs, unemployment, or AI effects.
2016 WARN events · All observed accounting departures
Occupation details
| Next position | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting and auditing | 1,536 | 30.4% |
| Financial Managers (11-3031) | 1,022 | 20.2% |
| Financial Risk Specialists (13-2054) | 131 | 2.6% |
| Financial and Investment Analysts (13-2051) | 120 | 2.4% |
| Billing and Posting Clerks (43-3021) | 101 | 2.0% |
| Data Scientists (15-2051) | 91 | 1.8% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other (15-1299) | 48 | 1.0% |
| Tax Preparers (13-2082) | 98 | 1.9% |
| Managers, All Other (11-9199) | 37 | 0.7% |
| Information Security Analysts (15-1212) | 34 | 0.7% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other (13-1199) | 27 | 0.5% |
| Remaining occupations · pooled small groups | 841 | 16.6% |
| Unknown | 966 | 19.1% |
Counts are person-events; a person may appear more than once. Departures occur in the WARN event quarter or the next quarter. Destinations use the next recorded position within four quarters; percentages include all departures. Unknown combines unclassified roles or employers, no next position, and incomplete follow-up. Small annual occupational groups remain pooled. O*NET titles describe recorded six-digit occupations, not changes in seniority. These records do not identify individual layoffs, unemployment, or AI effects.
2017 WARN events · All observed accounting departures
Occupation details
| Next position | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting and auditing | 1,304 | 28.9% |
| Financial Managers (11-3031) | 926 | 20.5% |
| Financial Risk Specialists (13-2054) | 87 | 1.9% |
| Financial and Investment Analysts (13-2051) | 110 | 2.4% |
| Billing and Posting Clerks (43-3021) | 83 | 1.8% |
| Data Scientists (15-2051) | 86 | 1.9% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other (15-1299) | 60 | 1.3% |
| Tax Preparers (13-2082) | 67 | 1.5% |
| Managers, All Other (11-9199) | 45 | 1.0% |
| Information Security Analysts (15-1212) | 35 | 0.8% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other (13-1199) | 21 | 0.5% |
| Remaining occupations · pooled small groups | 857 | 19.0% |
| Unknown | 831 | 18.4% |
Counts are person-events; a person may appear more than once. Departures occur in the WARN event quarter or the next quarter. Destinations use the next recorded position within four quarters; percentages include all departures. Unknown combines unclassified roles or employers, no next position, and incomplete follow-up. Small annual occupational groups remain pooled. O*NET titles describe recorded six-digit occupations, not changes in seniority. These records do not identify individual layoffs, unemployment, or AI effects.
2018 WARN events · All observed accounting departures
Occupation details
| Next position | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting and auditing | 1,527 | 31.2% |
| Financial Managers (11-3031) | 985 | 20.1% |
| Financial Risk Specialists (13-2054) | 122 | 2.5% |
| Financial and Investment Analysts (13-2051) | 118 | 2.4% |
| Billing and Posting Clerks (43-3021) | 79 | 1.6% |
| Data Scientists (15-2051) | 89 | 1.8% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other (15-1299) | 89 | 1.8% |
| Tax Preparers (13-2082) | 69 | 1.4% |
| Managers, All Other (11-9199) | 43 | 0.9% |
| Information Security Analysts (15-1212) | 45 | 0.9% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other (13-1199) | 31 | 0.6% |
| Remaining occupations · pooled small groups | 863 | 17.6% |
| Unknown | 834 | 17.0% |
Counts are person-events; a person may appear more than once. Departures occur in the WARN event quarter or the next quarter. Destinations use the next recorded position within four quarters; percentages include all departures. Unknown combines unclassified roles or employers, no next position, and incomplete follow-up. Small annual occupational groups remain pooled. O*NET titles describe recorded six-digit occupations, not changes in seniority. These records do not identify individual layoffs, unemployment, or AI effects.
2019 WARN events · All observed accounting departures
Occupation details
| Next position | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting and auditing | 1,585 | 29.7% |
| Financial Managers (11-3031) | 1,034 | 19.4% |
| Financial Risk Specialists (13-2054) | 131 | 2.5% |
| Financial and Investment Analysts (13-2051) | 128 | 2.4% |
| Billing and Posting Clerks (43-3021) | 117 | 2.2% |
| Data Scientists (15-2051) | 103 | 1.9% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other (15-1299) | 89 | 1.7% |
| Tax Preparers (13-2082) | 64 | 1.2% |
| Managers, All Other (11-9199) | 55 | 1.0% |
| Information Security Analysts (15-1212) | 42 | 0.8% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other (13-1199) | 44 | 0.8% |
| Remaining occupations · pooled small groups | 952 | 17.9% |
| Unknown | 984 | 18.5% |
Counts are person-events; a person may appear more than once. Departures occur in the WARN event quarter or the next quarter. Destinations use the next recorded position within four quarters; percentages include all departures. Unknown combines unclassified roles or employers, no next position, and incomplete follow-up. Small annual occupational groups remain pooled. O*NET titles describe recorded six-digit occupations, not changes in seniority. These records do not identify individual layoffs, unemployment, or AI effects.
2020 WARN events · All observed accounting departures
Occupation details
| Next position | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting and auditing | 2,175 | 32.6% |
| Financial Managers (11-3031) | 1,200 | 18.0% |
| Financial Risk Specialists (13-2054) | 103 | 1.5% |
| Financial and Investment Analysts (13-2051) | 122 | 1.8% |
| Billing and Posting Clerks (43-3021) | 167 | 2.5% |
| Data Scientists (15-2051) | 123 | 1.8% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other (15-1299) | 92 | 1.4% |
| Tax Preparers (13-2082) | 73 | 1.1% |
| Managers, All Other (11-9199) | 42 | 0.6% |
| Information Security Analysts (15-1212) | 43 | 0.6% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other (13-1199) | 43 | 0.6% |
| Remaining occupations · pooled small groups | 1,134 | 17.0% |
| Unknown | 1,348 | 20.2% |
Counts are person-events; a person may appear more than once. Departures occur in the WARN event quarter or the next quarter. Destinations use the next recorded position within four quarters; percentages include all departures. Unknown combines unclassified roles or employers, no next position, and incomplete follow-up. Small annual occupational groups remain pooled. O*NET titles describe recorded six-digit occupations, not changes in seniority. These records do not identify individual layoffs, unemployment, or AI effects.
2021 WARN events · All observed accounting departures
Occupation details
| Next position | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting and auditing | 1,056 | 31.7% |
| Financial Managers (11-3031) | 627 | 18.8% |
| Financial Risk Specialists (13-2054) | 136 | 4.1% |
| Financial and Investment Analysts (13-2051) | 92 | 2.8% |
| Billing and Posting Clerks (43-3021) | 65 | 2.0% |
| Data Scientists (15-2051) | 82 | 2.5% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other (15-1299) | 58 | 1.7% |
| Tax Preparers (13-2082) | 38 | 1.1% |
| Managers, All Other (11-9199) | 44 | 1.3% |
| Information Security Analysts (15-1212) | 38 | 1.1% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other (13-1199) | 32 | 1.0% |
| Remaining occupations · pooled small groups | 560 | 16.8% |
| Unknown | 502 | 15.1% |
Counts are person-events; a person may appear more than once. Departures occur in the WARN event quarter or the next quarter. Destinations use the next recorded position within four quarters; percentages include all departures. Unknown combines unclassified roles or employers, no next position, and incomplete follow-up. Small annual occupational groups remain pooled. O*NET titles describe recorded six-digit occupations, not changes in seniority. These records do not identify individual layoffs, unemployment, or AI effects.
2022 WARN events · All observed accounting departures
Occupation details
| Next position | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting and auditing | 837 | 29.5% |
| Financial Managers (11-3031) | 476 | 16.7% |
| Financial Risk Specialists (13-2054) | 92 | 3.2% |
| Financial and Investment Analysts (13-2051) | 72 | 2.5% |
| Billing and Posting Clerks (43-3021) | 48 | 1.7% |
| Data Scientists (15-2051) | 75 | 2.6% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other (15-1299) | 46 | 1.6% |
| Tax Preparers (13-2082) | 46 | 1.6% |
| Managers, All Other (11-9199) | 35 | 1.2% |
| Information Security Analysts (15-1212) | 31 | 1.1% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other (13-1199) | 27 | 1.0% |
| Remaining occupations · pooled small groups | 484 | 17.0% |
| Unknown | 573 | 20.2% |
Counts are person-events; a person may appear more than once. Departures occur in the WARN event quarter or the next quarter. Destinations use the next recorded position within four quarters; percentages include all departures. Unknown combines unclassified roles or employers, no next position, and incomplete follow-up. Small annual occupational groups remain pooled. O*NET titles describe recorded six-digit occupations, not changes in seniority. These records do not identify individual layoffs, unemployment, or AI effects.
2023 WARN events · All observed accounting departures
Occupation details
| Next position | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting and auditing | 1,333 | 25.2% |
| Financial Managers (11-3031) | 895 | 16.9% |
| Financial Risk Specialists (13-2054) | 103 | 1.9% |
| Financial and Investment Analysts (13-2051) | 119 | 2.3% |
| Billing and Posting Clerks (43-3021) | 113 | 2.1% |
| Data Scientists (15-2051) | 117 | 2.2% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other (15-1299) | 107 | 2.0% |
| Tax Preparers (13-2082) | 42 | 0.8% |
| Managers, All Other (11-9199) | 53 | 1.0% |
| Information Security Analysts (15-1212) | 35 | 0.7% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other (13-1199) | 40 | 0.8% |
| Remaining occupations · pooled small groups | 932 | 17.6% |
| Unknown | 1,398 | 26.4% |
Counts are person-events; a person may appear more than once. Departures occur in the WARN event quarter or the next quarter. Destinations use the next recorded position within four quarters; percentages include all departures. Unknown combines unclassified roles or employers, no next position, and incomplete follow-up. Small annual occupational groups remain pooled. O*NET titles describe recorded six-digit occupations, not changes in seniority. These records do not identify individual layoffs, unemployment, or AI effects.
2024 WARN events · All observed accounting departures
Occupation details
| Next position | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting and auditing | 1,328 | 25.1% |
| Financial Managers (11-3031) | 815 | 15.4% |
| Financial Risk Specialists (13-2054) | 128 | 2.4% |
| Financial and Investment Analysts (13-2051) | 108 | 2.0% |
| Billing and Posting Clerks (43-3021) | 97 | 1.8% |
| Data Scientists (15-2051) | 118 | 2.2% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other (15-1299) | 107 | 2.0% |
| Tax Preparers (13-2082) | 78 | 1.5% |
| Managers, All Other (11-9199) | 40 | 0.8% |
| Information Security Analysts (15-1212) | 34 | 0.6% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other (13-1199) | 43 | 0.8% |
| Remaining occupations · pooled small groups | 849 | 16.1% |
| Unknown | 1,538 | 29.1% |
Counts are person-events; a person may appear more than once. Departures occur in the WARN event quarter or the next quarter. Destinations use the next recorded position within four quarters; percentages include all departures. Unknown combines unclassified roles or employers, no next position, and incomplete follow-up. Small annual occupational groups remain pooled. O*NET titles describe recorded six-digit occupations, not changes in seniority. These records do not identify individual layoffs, unemployment, or AI effects.
2025 WARN events · Follow-up incomplete
Occupation details
| Next position | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting and auditing | 430 | 9.5% |
| Financial Managers (11-3031) | 219 | 4.8% |
| Financial Risk Specialists (13-2054) | 53 | 1.2% |
| Financial and Investment Analysts (13-2051) | 32 | 0.7% |
| Billing and Posting Clerks (43-3021) | 36 | 0.8% |
| Data Scientists (15-2051) | 25 | 0.6% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other (15-1299) | 28 | 0.6% |
| Tax Preparers (13-2082) | 19 | 0.4% |
| Managers, All Other (11-9199) | 23 | 0.5% |
| Information Security Analysts (15-1212) | 13 | 0.3% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other (13-1199) | 17 | 0.4% |
| Remaining occupations · pooled small groups | 235 | 5.2% |
| Unknown | 3,408 | 75.1% |
Counts are person-events; a person may appear more than once. Departures occur in the WARN event quarter or the next quarter. Destinations use the next recorded position within four quarters; percentages include all departures. Unknown combines unclassified roles or employers, no next position, and incomplete follow-up. Small annual occupational groups remain pooled. O*NET titles describe recorded six-digit occupations, not changes in seniority. These records do not identify individual layoffs, unemployment, or AI effects.