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U.S. employers pulled back on hiring in April, adding just 160,000 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This was below what most analysts had expected. The BLS also noted that job gains for February and Marchwere 19,000 less than previously reported. Taking the adjustments into account, employers have added 769,000 positions since the start of the year, for an average of 192,000 jobs per month in 2016. That compares to 205,000 jobs per month, on average, at this time last year.

You've probably heard by now that some major changes are coming to the CPA exam. Before you hit the books, here's what you need to know.

With my senior year coming to an end, I have been spending some time reflecting on the past year, and my Seattle University experience as a whole. In the true spirit of accounting, I will be coming back for two quarters next year (the countdown to 225 is very real), but there is something meaningful nonetheless about concluding senior year of college.

Get the good stuff at WSCPA spring conferences before time runs out! Treat yourself to a day out of the office as you learn about the latest issues, make new connections, and enjoy delicious food, coffee, and refreshments from the premier conference venues in the Puget Sound area. Don't miss out on this impressive line-up of conferences featuring top speakers from around the country.

Have you ever been interested in something and want to get involved, but you didn’t know how? I have. It is typically something that I am passionate about—either for or against. I really want to get involved to make a change, or support the cause, but I am not certain how to start or whether my participation will be valued. Sometimes it takes a personal invitation to convince me to participate.

“Small business is the backbone of the U.S. economy. Small businesses are primary job creators.” While these statements are popular sound bites during an election, it should be noted that newer firms, regardless of defined revenue and employment size parameters, are net providers of employment growth. What do we mean by small business anyway?

I have a way of describing life as being made up of “Get To’s” and “Have To’s” and being the Chair of the WSCPA has been a major “Get To” for me. It’s hard to believe that by the time you read this my year as Chair will be nearing its end. It has gone more quickly than I could ever have imagined. Along the way I’ve had the opportunity to work with a wonderful Board of Directors of qualified and enthusiastic colleagues, an incredible staff, and a supportive group of members.

Two years prior to her retirement last May 31st, Ann Young and I discussed the timing of her retirement in relation to mine. Ann wanted to ensure that her replacement had sufficient time to learn the job before I decided to retire. She understood the importance of succession planning and the importance of her role in supporting me as CEO. Fortunately for the WSCPA, her replacement, Helen Doty, has done an outstanding job in adding value as Manager of Governance and Human Resources.

The American Institute of CPAs has recognized Washington State CPA Candidate Samuel Crosby as a winner of the 2015 Elijah Watt Sells Award. The award is bestowed upon candidates who have obtained a cumulative average score above 95.50 across all four sections of the Uniform CPA Examination, passed all four sections of the Examination on their first attempt and completed testing in 2014.

Are you the kind of person who jumps up to take care of an invoice or bill the moment you get it? If so, you may be rewarded! Renew your membership and update your interests by June 1 for a chance to win one of four $300 Amazon gift cards.

Congratulations to the Advocacy team for their latest victory in Olympia! On March 31, Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2433 was officially signed into law by the Governor. ESHB2433 provided firm mobility across Washington State lines and brought the definition of attest in Washington State into closer conformity with the Uniform Accountancy Act.

What makes a company or corporation great? What is it that makes them truly stand out among their competitors? It is by using an innovative approach to the way they communicate with the clients and with each other during the day to day inner workings. And that innovative approach is found in the principles of improvisation to promote a simpler, more effective way to work as a team. Improv is more than standup comedy. At its foundation, improv is about leadership.

The Board of Directors is pleased to announce the nominees for the Society’s 2016-17 Board of Directors. In accordance with Article VI of the bylaws, all nominees will be declared elected by the secretary at the annual meeting unless other nominations, supported by at least one percent of membership, are received by April 1, 2016. If a contest for one or more positions develops, an election for those positions will be held at the meeting.

PivotCharts are outstanding tools for helping readers to understand the information communicated in PivotTables. Some PivotTable users describe PivotCharts as graphical extensions of PivotTables because in prior versions of Excel, you needed to build a PivotTable before you could build a related PivotChart. However, beginning with Excel 2013, you can build standalone PivotCharts without an accompanying PivotTable. In this tip, you will learn how to create standalone PivotCharts, based on Excel’s Data Model feature.

Conventional wisdom for new professionals advises that to get to the top you should always be available to take on extra projects, to work harder than the person on your left and smarter than the person on your right. Working hard is an admirable quality and honoring one’s commitments is important—we’re not suggesting otherwise.

Picture the United States in 1917: President Woodrow Wilson has begun his second term as president. The country declares war on Germany, joining World War I after it has already spent nearly three years raging across Europe. Jeanette Rankin of Montana is elected as the first woman member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

More is better. That’s what we’ve been trained to believe in business. Have a problem? Throw more at it until it’s fixed. More time. More money. More resources. It shouldn’t be a surprise, then, that most business professionals assume “more” improves communication too. They use more words, spend more time talking and engage in more conversations all in an effort to become better communicators. Those tactics rarely work.

On February 8, 2016, The Honorable Jay Inslee, Governor of the State of Washington appointed Charles Satterlund, CPA, CIA, as the Executive Director for the Washington State Board of Accountancy.

Ralph William Garhart passed away peacefully on February 3, 2016 at the age of 93. He was born on November 21, 1922 in Portland Oregon to Ralph W. Garhart Sr. and Elizabeth Monteith Garhart. His family moved to Roseburg Oregon in 1929 where his father died in 1931. He was raised by his widowed mother, a caring dedicated Registered Nurse, and graduated from Roseburg High School in 1940.

The Washington State Department of Revenue’s Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) program is the winner of the 2016 Federation of Tax Administrators’ Award for Management and Organization.