NEW surveys by recruitment firms Robert Walters and Hays Accountancy and Finance have highlighted the continuing shortage of skilled professionals in Western Australia. Robert Walters director Brice Henderson said strong economic growth had left employers facing a “rapidly shrinking pool of readily available talent”. The firm’s latest salary survey found senior contract accountants are in high demand from junior to mid-sized resource companies. In the banking sector it found a trend towards training-up home grown talent while IT salaries have increased substantially in the past six months. Hays found that accounting salaries are increasing but not in line with the skills shortages prevalent in the industry. The exceptions to this pattern are tax consulting, where shortages are most acute, and contractors. Hays also found that many accountants are moving overseas or into commerce. To counteract this, about 50 per cent of all placements for accountants and auditors in professional practices in WA are from interstate or from overseas. Among the big four firms, Hays said there was strong vacancy activity across all areas, but particularly in tax consulting and corporate finance.