Working capital may be discussed at the executive level, but much of the work behind it happens every day across accounts payable, accounts receivable, credit and collections, billing, cash applications, payroll and general accounting.
These teams keep invoices moving, payments accurate, records current and cash coming in. And while technology continues to change how transactional accounting work gets done, businesses still need skilled people behind the processes.
The labor market reflects that need.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects approximately 144,100 openings for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks each year through 2035. While automation is expected to reduce some routine work over time, businesses will continue to need people to replace workers who retire, change careers or leave these roles.
That is an important distinction. Transactional accounting jobs are changing, but the work is not going away.
Everyday accounting work has a bigger impact than it may seem
The importance of these roles becomes especially clear when looking at accounts receivable, credit and collections.
Businesses are waiting longer to get paid. Allianz Trade found that 24% of companies surveyed are now waiting more than 70 days for payment, while only 7% are typically paid within 30 days.
For AR and collections teams, that puts greater focus on the work happening behind the scenes: following up on aging balances, resolving payment issues, managing credit, applying cash correctly and keeping customer accounts accurate.
Those responsibilities directly affect how quickly a company can turn revenue into cash.
J.P. Morgan has also highlighted the pressure growing businesses can face as receivables become more complicated. More customers, transactions and payment methods can create additional work for accounting teams, and when processes do not keep up, businesses can lose visibility into their cash and working capital.
The same is true on the accounts payable side.
Ardent Partners’ 2026 research found that 48% of AP leaders identify slow invoice and payment approvals as a major challenge, with the same percentage reporting high levels of invoice exceptions.
Technology can make these processes faster, but it does not eliminate the need for people who can investigate a discrepancy, resolve a vendor issue, catch an error or make sure the right controls are being followed.
The skills behind these roles are changing
As more routine tasks become automated, transactional accounting professionals are increasingly being asked to do more than process information.
A strong AP professional may need to understand an ERP system, investigate exceptions and communicate with vendors. An AR or collections professional may be managing aging reports, resolving disputes and working directly with customers. Bookkeepers and accounting clerks are often expected to understand how transactions connect to reconciliations, reporting and the close.
That creates a different kind of hiring challenge.
Employers are not simply looking for someone who can enter data or process a stack of invoices. They increasingly need people who understand the process, can work within modern accounting systems and know what to do when something does not look right.
In many cases, the value of transactional accounting talent is shifting from simply processing the work to helping keep the process running well.
When a role is open, the work keeps coming
These functions are also particularly sensitive to staffing gaps because the workload rarely stops.
Customers still need to be billed. Receivables need follow-up. Vendor invoices need to be processed. Employees have to be paid. Cash needs to be applied. Accounts need to be reconciled.
When an accounting team is lean, losing even one person can quickly put more pressure on everyone else.
The same thing can happen during periods of growth. More customers can mean more invoices and collections activity. More employees create additional payroll work. More vendors and transactions add volume to AP and reconciliation processes.
Sometimes the issue is not a long-term hiring need. It is simply that the existing team needs more capacity.
That is where flexible staffing can play an important role. Turnover, leaves of absence, backlogs, seasonal volume, system changes and business growth can all create immediate needs that may not require permanent headcount.
At Brilliant, our Financial Staffing team supports organizations with contract and contract-to-hire professionals across staff and senior accounting, junior accounting and bookkeeping, accounts payable, accounts receivable, credit and collections, billing, cash applications, payroll and other transactional finance functions.
As accounting continues to evolve, these roles will evolve with it. Automation will continue to change the way the work gets done, but businesses will still need skilled people to maintain accuracy, solve problems and keep the financial processes behind the business moving.
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Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026; Allianz Trade, 2026; National Association of Credit Management, 2026; J.P. Morgan, 2026; Ardent Partners, 2026.