Any Day Now

A quick check of the SEC's Web site shows the agency is looking for accountants. Not a lot of them, mind you, and many of the positions seem to be open only to current government employees. The pay looks okay - these are GS 13/14 jobs with salaries around $100,000 - and of course you can't beat the government for benefit security.

What piqued my interest was an article in yesterday's Los Angeles Times that said the SEC brought nine percent fewer enforcement actions in FY 2006 than it did last year. The reason?

The drop was largely a result of reduced staff, SEC Chairman Christopher Cox said in the statement. The agency restricted hiring in 2006 because it had to close a $48.7-million budget gap triggered partly by cost overruns in building a new headquarters in Washington.

A spokesman told the Times the agency planned to start filling some of the job openings, though he wouldn't say when.

SEC actions fall 9% on job vacancies [LA Times]
Securities & Exchange Commission