Forbes just released its 2026 ranking of Canada’s Best Employers, and Quebec had a strong showing with 34 companies making the list of 300.
The annual ranking, produced in partnership with market research firm Statista, surveyed more than 37,000 Canada-based employees working for businesses with at least 500 workers. Participants rated employers on compensation packages, work flexibility, training opportunities, leadership programs, and whether they’d recommend their workplace to others.
Quebec dominates the top 10
What’s particularly impressive is how Quebec organizations performed at the very top of the rankings — four of the top five employers in Canada are based in the province.
Université Laval in Quebec City claimed the number one spot, marking it as the best employer in all of Canada. Founded in 1663, it’s North America’s first French-language university and currently serves almost 50,000 students, including more than 6,000 from around the world.
The university offers over 400 academic programs, maintains 750 partnerships with universities across 70 countries, and receives more than $200 million in research funding annually. This isn’t Laval’s first Forbes recognition — it also ranked #1 for Canada’s Best Employers For Company Culture in 2025.
Université de Sherbrooke landed at #3, while Parks Canada (headquartered in Gatineau) secured #4, and Montreal’s Concordia University rounded out the top five at #5.
The full Quebec list
Here are all 34 Quebec-based companies that made Forbes’ Canada’s Best Employers 2026 ranking:
- Université Laval (#1)
- Université de Sherbrooke (#3)
- Parks Canada (#4)
- Concordia University (#5)
- Canadian Heritage (#11)
- Hydro-Québec (#12)
- Industrial Alliance (#32)
- Desjardins (#37)
- Elections Canada (#39)
- CIMA+ (#65)
- Business Development Bank of Canada (#67)
- Pfizer (#77)
- National Bank of Canada (#99)
- Université de Montréal (#105)
- Goodfellow (#122)
- Pharmascience (#126)
- ACCEO Solutions (#133)
- Cogeco (#147)
- Bombardier (#160)
- Environment and Climate Change Canada (#163)
- Pratt & Whitney Canada (#168)
- CAA Quebec (#178)
- Beneva (#187)
- CGI (#189)
- Université du Québec à Montréal (#224)
- La Vie En Rose (#225)
- Inditex (#246)
- McGill University (#252)
- Canadian Intellectual Property Office (#266)
- Ultramar (#281)
- Transat A.T. (#291)
- Jewish General Hospital (#294)
- Familiprix (#300)
