Job preferences of business and economics students

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to elicit young economists’ job preferences through the use of a choice experiment (CE). Design/methodology/approach A CE conducted at a total of five universities in Spain, the Czech Republic and Germany. After estimating a random parameter logit model, the monetary value of the willingness to accept a specific job attribute is simulated. Findings The most important job characteristic, consistent across countries and universities, is a long-term career prospect at the company. Originality/value This is the first CE conducted on business and economics students’ job preferences in three European countries. Using the same survey instrument allows for the comparison of students’ job preferences across countries and also between private and public universities.