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Here are the top companies Canadian students want to work for

Alicja Siekierska
·3 min read
University of Minnesota students attend the College of Liberal Arts graduation ceremony in Minneapolis, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (Angelina Katsanis/Star Tribune via AP)
Canadian university students on the hunt for a job say their top priority is high future earnings, according to a study conducted by Universum. (Angelina Katsanis/Star Tribune via AP) (AP Third Party)

As they grapple with a higher cost of living, Canadian university students on the hunt for a job say their top priority is high future earnings.

That’s according to a survey of 16,661 students from 161 universities across the country conducted by Universum, a data company specializing in employer branding. Universum conducted the survey between September 2023 and March 2024, with the students representing 186 areas of study.

Universum found that high future earnings was the top preference among Canadian students when it came to looking for work, followed by secure employment and flexible working conditions. Encouraging work-life balance was the fourth top priority, followed by professional training and development.

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Jeff Rugg, senior employer brand advisor with Universum, says the survey shows that students are placing increasing importance on factors like future earnings, career advancement opportunities and a friendly work environment.

“This indicates a shift in priorities among students towards more immediate rewards and career progression, which can influence their choices in potential employers,” Rugg said in a statement. He also says when it comes to recruitment, companies should focus on aligning recruitment to focus on the priorities of their target talent pool.

Canada’s labour market has started to cool from what the Bank of Canada called “very overheated levels” and is showing signs of slack. Although the labour market added a net 90,400 jobs in April, the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.1 per cent amid surging population growth. But Rugg notes that it is still a competitive market for employers seeking candidates.

“The results suggest that the Canadian labour market is evolving in line with changing student preferences and industry trends,” Rugg said, adding that there has been increasing interest among students in the banking and aerospace industries.

“The emphasis on high future earnings and career advancement highlights the competitive nature of the Canadian job market, where companies need to offer attractive opportunities to attract and retain top talent from the beginning.”

Here are the top 10 most attractive employers according to university students, broken down by field of study:

  1. Google

  2. Royal Bank of Canada

  3. Apple

  4. Deloitte

  5. TD Bank

  6. J.P. Morgan

  7. KPMG

  8. Microsoft

  9. Goldman Sachs

  10. Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)

  1. Google

  2. Apple

  3. Microsoft

  4. Tesla

  5. Amazon

  6. Canadian Space Agency

  7. Boeing

  8. Intel

  9. Meta

  10. Lockheed Martin Canada

  1. Health Canada

  2. Environment and Climate Change Canada

  3. Pfizer

  4. Natural Resources Canada

  5. Hospital for Sick Children

  6. Parks Canada

  7. Canadian Cancer Society

  8. Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.

  9. University Health Network

  10. Canadian Space Agency

  1. United Nations

  2. Canadian Department of Justice

  3. Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)

  4. Health Canada

  5. Employment and Social Development Canada

  6. Google

  7. Global Affairs Canada

  8. Hospital for Sick Children

  9. Indigo

  10. Apple

  1. United Nations

  2. Canadian Department of Justice

  3. Lavery Lawyer Law Firm

  4. J.P. Morgan

  5. Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)

  6. Global Affairs Canada

  7. Canada Border SErvices Agency (CBSA)

  8. Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)

  9. Field Law Group

  10. Gowling WLG

  1. Health Canada

  2. Hospital for Sick Children

  3. Canadian Cancer Society

  4. Doctors Without Borders

  5. Canadian Red Cross

  6. Alberta Health Services

  7. McGill University Health Centre

  8. Pfizer

  9. Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)

  10. Sunnybrook Health Science Centres

Alicja Siekierska is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow her on Twitter @alicjawithaj.

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