Trained accountants are leaving Australia and heading to Britain and other countries in increasing numbers, as they seek markets where their skills are in high demand.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, some 1,370 accountants left Australia between September 2005 and September 2006, compared to 454 the previous year and 153 the year before that.
This explosive growth is set to continue as the rest of the world introduces the International Financial Reporting Standards, which have been in place in Australia since January 2005.
"A significant number of our accountants will be poached overseas when the rest of the world catches up in 2008," Adrian Raftery of Accountants R Us told Australia's Daily Telegraph.
A brain drain in Sydney and Melbourne will mean increased competition among job-seeking accountants in Britain.
"Our accountants will be very desirable to [overseas markets] following a few years' experience with the international standards," Mr Raftery continued.
"It's simply the dynamics of demand and supply. If you're an accountant, you're in demand."
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