Vancouver is one of only two cities to make the top ten in a new listing reflecting quality of living.
The city is 5th in Mercer’s annual survey which is topped by Vienna. Zurich, Auckland and Munich complete the top 5. Toronto ties with Melbourne in 16th while Ottawa is 18th Montreal is 23rd and Calgary is 33rd.
The survey, based on several factors which might influence a company when sending employees on assignment aboard, puts Canada’s top cities ahead of the United States which has San Francisco as its top-ranker at number 29.
“Economic instability, social unrest, and growing political upheaval all add to the complex challenge multinational companies face when analysing quality of living for their expatriate workforce,” said Ilya Bonic, senior partner and president of Mercer’s Career business.
For city infrastructure, Vancouver (in 9th place) also ranks highest in the region. It is followed by Atlanta and Montreal, tied in 14th place.
“The success of foreign assignments is influenced by issues such as ease of travel and communication, sanitation standards, personal safety, and access to public services,” said Slagin Parakatil, Principal at Mercer and responsible for its quality of living research.
