People need accountants in good economic times, and people need accountants in bad economic times. Careers in accounting have not been hit as hard by the current economic downturn as some other professions, according to a survey conducted by Ajilon Finance.

Job losses in the accounting field have been around 2% since June 2008, substantially less than the national average.

"Despite the deterioration of the overall job market over the past year, accountants are still in great demand nationwide," said Jodi Chavez, senior vice president of Ajilon Finance, adding that with the upcoming change to international financial reporting standards, getting a good accountant on board is important for many companies.

The majority, 57%, of the accountants surveyed said they intend to stay with their company once the economy improved, while a little less than a quarter of the respondents said they would look for new jobs.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there were about 1.27 million accountants and auditors working in the U.S. in 2006. At that time, they predicted overall job growth of 18%, up to 1.5 million, by the year 2016.