Firefighters, paramedics, nurses: Despite often difficult working conditions, workers who directly help people still top the list of jobs most valued by Quebecers, according to a new survey.
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This year, paramedics, along with firefighters, are at the top of the barometer of professions that enjoy the most public trust, with an almost perfect score of 97%, according to the latest survey carried out exclusively by the Léger company.
“The fireman is a handsome, tall, muscular guy who is ready to help you. We have a beautiful picture of the firefighter. It’s not for nothing that the fire brigade calendar works,” laughs Jean-Marc Léger, a pollster.
Good rating with 85%
Nurses, farmers, pharmacists and doctors follow closely. A total of 50 trades and professions were rated based on public trust. The results allow a comparison of the opinion of Quebecers with 2022.
“At 85%, that’s a good result,” said the pollster. Below 60% are hunger rates.”
Note: All employees at the top of the rankings have difficult working conditions in common, such as overtime, a difficult work-life balance, or stress.
“Farmers have always been valued. But who wants to be a farmer today? “These are not necessarily the most attractive jobs,” adds Mr. Léger.
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Although Quebecers have difficulty accessing the healthcare network due to long delays, they trust the people who work there.
“Even if we criticize the health network very heavily, there is at the same time recognition for the quality and care,” emphasizes Marcel Fournier, a sociologist at the University of Montreal.
Politicians are lagging behind
At the bottom of the public opinion ranking we find professions that are more likely to be conflict-prone (politicians, salespeople, journalists). It should be noted that teachers (-4%) and childcare workers (-5%) have lost points in public opinion this year.
In contrast, civil servants saw a significant increase of 7%. According to Mr Léger, this is due to a catch-up process after a decline during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methodology: The Léger survey was conducted online between February 16 and 18, 2024, among 1,001 Quebec residents. The maximum margin of error for such a sample is 3.1%, 19 out of 20.
More love for journalists
Highly criticized since the COVID-19 pandemic, journalists saw a 9% increase in trust in 2024, the largest increase among the 50 professions examined in the survey. Nevertheless, information specialists remain high in the ranking (41st place).
The Quebec Professional Association of Journalists (FPJQ) is pleased with the result, but emphasizes that the quality of the work cannot be judged on the basis of a survey alone.
“We do not deny that there is a crisis of confidence, but there are many variables that play a role and it is not only due to the work of journalists,” reacts Éric-Pierre Champagne, president of the FPJQ. There is a part of the population that no matter what we do, they will not have trust.”
“Disastrous” for priests
Priests and pastors have lost the public's trust in recent decades due to the numerous pedophilia and sexual assault scandals that have damaged them. They rose 3% this year, for a total score of 39%, but have already had the trust of more than 60% of Quebecers in the past.
“It’s still disastrous. People have more trust in their MP than in their priest. […] Their popularity is stagnating,” emphasizes Jean-Marc Léger.
A convoy that harms truckers
Truckers lost 4% of public approval this year. The “Freedom Convoy”, in which many truckers took part in 2022, is not unrelated to this result, as any protest movement damages the public image of a profession, according to the Léger company.
Surprisingly, real estate agents have lost nothing in two years, despite the real estate outbidding scandals that have hit the profession during the pandemic. Nevertheless, these professionals remain far in the ranking at number 45.
Archive photo, Martin Alarie
Politicians in purgatory
MPs, ministers and mayors are again at the bottom of the job popularity scale this year, a clear sign that citizens have little trust in them. Nearly 800 Quebec mayors have resigned since being elected in 2021, the Union of Quebec Municipalities points out. Bullying and a toxic climate are often responsible for this. Hardly every second citizen (53%) trusts mayors, who play an important role in local democracy.
“You have to be a missionary to become mayor,” summarizes Mr. Léger.
We are cautious about sellers
The distrust of many consumers towards sellers is also reflected in the results of the trade barometer, as they occupy the last two places in the ranking.
Car sellers receive the worst rating with only 28% trust from the population. Is the difficulty of getting a vehicle since the pandemic to blame? The dizzying rise in car prices? Long delivery times?
What is certain is that the seller always has a financial interest in consumers, which creates a certain level of mistrust, according to the Léger company.
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