Weakening output from accountancy was among the drivers for a poor performance in the service industry during the past quarter, according to the latest Office for National Statistics figures.

Service sector output increased by just 0.3% in the three months to April, the lowest rise in over 12 years. Within the sector, business services and finance ­ the category in which accounting is included ­ fared the worst, with a drop of 0.3% on the previous three months. Output from other business services division, which includes accountancy, legal services and market research in particular, showed significant decreases.

Phil Shohet, director of Kato consultancy, said the figures were not surprising in the current climate.

‘Clients are becoming more fee resistant. They are not accepting added value work,’ he said. ‘They have to have their compliance work done, but it is some of the special work they are resisting.’

Shohet said demand for accountancy services would further decline over the next six to 12 months.

The National Statistics figures, which point to a slowdown in growth in accountancy, are in line with Accountancy Age’s Top 50 survey results published last month. This year’s survey revealed the growth rate has dropped significantly, from double-digit growth in 2006 and 2007 to a more modest 5.7%.

Some firms plan to tackle this downturn by halting recruitment. Research by cvmail found that 57% of the UK’s Top 100 accounting firms did not intend to increase headcount over the next year. The majority of these aimed to maintain current staff levels, though 5% planned to cut staff.

Andy Eddleston, commercial manager at cvmail, said the slowdown was more pronounced in some sectors. ‘The effect of the credit crunch on top firms has been felt in a slowdown in corporate finance work and may feed into consultancy work. But their core audit & assurance and tax work should be largely unaffected,’ he said.