Career opportunities for qualified accounting professionals outside of London increased by 27 percent between February 2016 and February 2018, as businesses increasingly look to relocate or expand outside of the capital. Contributor Adrian O’Connor, Founding Director – Global Accounting Network.

This data is reflected by separate research from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) which found that vacancies for finance managers in the south of England increased by 19 percent year-on-year at the end of 2017.

This regional rise in finance roles within commerce and industry is also in line with the UK’s Industrial Strategy to ‘rebalance the UK’ by investing infrastructure to offer better connectivity across the South East, the Oxford-Cambridge corridor and the Northern and Midlands ‘Powerhouses’.

Commenting on this rise in regional vacancies, Adrian O’Connor, Founding Director at Global Accounting Network said: “News of Channel 4’s intention to move 300 of its 800 staff to new national HQ and two smaller broadcasting hubs outside of the capital is a high profile-example of a widespread trend for regionalisation. HSBC has now relocated its headquarters for UK retail and commercial from London to Birmingham, while AstraSeneca moved its global HQ to Cambridge last year. Organisations are clearly re-evaluating where they need to be geographically, and many are looking outside of London to take advantage of lower overheads while tapping into fresh talent pools.

“While the majority of companies choose to retain a presence in the capital, many back office functions, including accounting teams, are moving further afield. This is great news for finance professionals, who are seeing greater scope to step into a high-quality, senior role closer to home – without compromising on the career opportunities and benefits that typically come with working for a large high-profile employer.”