EY Study: Job security becomes top priority for students

A study conducted by the consulting firm EY reveals that job security has overtaken salary as the most important factor for students entering the workforce. According to the survey of more than 2,000 students in early 2026, 52 percent of respondents identified a crisis-proof workplace as their primary concern, marking a ten-percentage-point increase since 2024.

Salary and potential pay increases follow in second place at 43 percent. Other factors, such as flexible working hours (41 percent) and work-life balance, have seen a decline in importance. The data also shows that 77 percent of students prefer traditional employment over self-employment.

EY HR Chief Jan-Rainer Hinz noted that this shift is a reaction to economic instability, characterized by a multi-year slowdown and a reduction in entry-level positions. Furthermore, while nominal salary expectations rose slightly to an average of 44,500 euros, inflation-adjusted figures suggest that real starting salaries have significantly decreased compared to previous years.