Chief financial officers in Canada anticipate increased hiring activity in accounting and finance in the third quarter, according to the Robert Half International Financial Hiring Index.

Six per cent of executives polled plan to bring in full-time employees, while none anticipate reductions in personnel. The net 6% increase is up three points from the second-quarter forecast.

Forty-nine per cent of CFOs who expect to add to their accounting and finance teams said rising workloads was the primary factor driving demand; 25% of respondents attributed the need for additional staff to business growth.

The poll includes responses from more than 270 CFOs from a stratified random sample of Canadian companies with 20 or more employees. It was conducted by an independent research firm and developed by Robert Half International Inc., the world’s largest staffing services firm specializing in accounting, finance and information technology.

“Companies are actively seeking out senior-level accountants who can manage processes and drive business expansion,” said Jeff Holloway, a vp with Robert Half International. “In addition, firms continue to focus on recruiting accounting and finance professionals with in-demand specialties like internal audit, for ongoing compliance and corporate governance initiatives.”

Among industries, executives in manufacturing are most optimistic about their hiring plans. Nineteen per cent of CFOs in this sector anticipate hiring full-time accounting and finance employees in the third quarter and none expects to reduce personnel levels.

Hiring activity in the transportation, finance and construction sectors are also expected to be strong. These industries are projecting a 17%, 14% and 13% increases respectively in anticipated hiring in the third quarter.