In a survey by EY published in 2016, 32 percent of students in Germany said they would like to work for the state. No other employer was named as often. For 63 percent, job security was the most important criterion in choosing an employer. A report on the survey called the state by its old nickname, Vater Staat, Father State. In EY’s student study of 2026, a stable and secure job was again the top factor, named by 52 percent. Salary came second with 43 percent. In the 2024 study, salary had been in first place.