Universum Global reveals the list of organisations that have a competitive edge in employer reputation. Close to 200,000 business and engineering students from top universities weighed in on what companies and employer characteristics they find most attractive. As in the last four years, the 2013 rankings are compiled from student surveys in the world's 12 largest economies: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, UK and USA.

The 2013 business ranking shows fierce competition between the professional services, investment banking and fast moving consumer goods industries. KPMG, last year's second place contender, has dropped six places to be replaced by EY (Ernst & Young), which climbed four slots.

 "The reason why these employers are seen as being attractive is due to their strong association to attributes that students consider important, such as market success, professional training and development and providing secure employment. This might come as a surprise as there is a view of Gen Y valuing more corporate social responsibility, a friendly work environment and flexible working conditions," said Petter Nylander, Universum's CEO.

The organisations in the top ten on the engineering list have remained fairly stable compared to last year. Employers in the computer & software space are vying for the top spot, which has been Google's home for five years, while Microsoft (no. 2) replaces IBM (no. 3) in second place. Employers in this sector are highly associated with innovation and exciting products and services - two attributes that are very important to engineers. Below is the top ten of the world's fifty most attractive employers.

Business: 1. Google, 2. EY (Ernst & Young), 3. Goldman Sachs, 4. PwC ( PricewaterhouseCoopers), 5. Microsoft, 6. Apple, 7. Deloitte, 8. KPMG , 9. Coca-Cola, 10. P&G

Engineering: 1. Google, 2. Microsoft, 3. IBM, 4. Apple, 5. BMW Group, 6. GE, 7. Intel, 8. Siemens, 9. Sony, 10. Shell

To see the full list, go to http://universumglobal.com/ideal-employer-rankings/global-results/ [http://universumglobal.com/ideal-employer-rankings/global-results ]

To read about the ranking in CNN, go to http://money.com/newgrads

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Universum is an international organisation that has been working in the field of employer branding since 1988. Universum delivers a full range of services in research, strategic consulting and communication solutions that enable employers to better understand, attract and retain talent.