EY has delayed start dates for graduates hired by its US strategy and deal advisory business for the third year in a row, as the Big Four firm grapples with what it called “uncertain and evolving market conditions”.
Undergraduate and speciality master’s students who were due to join EY Parthenon after graduation in the next few months have been told they would now be needed “no sooner than March 2026”.
The move comes as the Big Four accounting and consulting firms navigate a sluggish market for mergers and acquisitions, crimping their deals businesses, and broader economic uncertainty that has meant fewer current employees are leaving.