Accounting graduates up slightly as new hires slip.

The supply of accounting graduates in the 1990-91 academic year rose 3% from the previous year, but new graduates hired by public accounting firms dropped 14% in 1991. These were the primary conclusions of the 1992 edition of The Supply of Accounting Graduates and the Demand for Public Accounting Recruits, an annual publication of the AICPA's academic and career development division.

While accounting degrees awarded climbed 3% overall, most of the growth was in master's degrees, which rose 10%. Bachelor's degrees were up only 2% for the academic year. For the 1991-92 academic year, the study projects an increase of 9% in master's degrees, but expects bachelor's degrees to rise less than 1%.

For the second consecutive year, graduates were divided equally between male and female. In the 1991-92 academic year, the study projects a 53%-47% majority in favor of women accounting graduates. Graduates with minority backgrounds represented 18% of all graduates, and the AICPA expects this percentage to remain relatively stable this academic year. Within the group, the percentage of black, Asian and Hispanic graduates should also remain constant.

The number of new accounting graduates recruited by public accounting firms has mirrored the condition of the economy in recent years. In 1990, new recruits declined 14% from 1989 levels, and firms lowered their recruiting by another 14% in 1991. However, the 20,062 firms polled by the AICPA expect to hire 4% more new accounting graduates in 1992. As the accompanying exhibit shows, 32% of accounting graduates with bachelor's degrees and 44% with master's degrees were placed in public accounting. The remainder chose other areas.