According to reports provided by large Canadian corporations

Question

According to reports provided by large Canadian corporations, the total number of university graduates applying for jobs in those corporations has decreased over the last five years. Therefore, it can be concluded that fewer graduates of Canadian universities are seeking career opportunities in large Canadian corporations now than five years ago.

Each of the following, if true, weakens the argument EXCEPT:
(A)The number of graduates of foreign universities who applied for jobs in large Canadian corporations has significantly decreased over the last five years.
(B)The majority of those who apply for jobs in large Canadian corporations do not get hired because of their low qualifications.
(C)Many large Canadian corporations no longer report the number of university graduates who apply to them for jobs.
(D)Some large Canadian corporations no longer provide information about university graduates who apply for part-time or freelance jobs.
(E)Surveys conducted by Canadian universities over the last five years indicated that the number of graduates who would like to start their careers in one of the large Canadian corporations has been increasing.

blueseas · Answer

it is B.

CONCLUSION  :fewer graduates of  Canadian universities  are seeking career opportunities  in large Canadian corporations  now than five years ago.

CLEARLY options B doesnt say anything about graduates from CANADIAN UNIVERSITY.
 it is talking about ALL people who apply for jobs==>so this is kind of unclear situation as we dont know how many canadian university graduates are there.

(A)The number of graduates of foreign universities who applied for jobs in large Canadian corporations has significantly decreased over the last five years.==> WRONG .
-so it says that decrease is because of fewer foreign students.hence weakens.
 (B)The majority of those who apply for jobs in large Canadian corporations do not get hired because of their low qualifications. 
 correct 
(C)Many large Canadian corporations no longer report the number of university graduates who apply to them for jobs.
 WRONG. 
-WEAKENS because...we dont have sufficient data to compare.
(D)Some large Canadian corporations no longer provide information about university graduates who apply for part-time or freelance jobs.
 WRONG. 
-SAME AS C.
(E)Surveys conducted by Canadian universities over the last five years indicated that the number of graduates who would like to start their careers in one of the large Canadian corporations has been increasing.
 WRONG.

Hence  B .

bradburyj · Answer

How does 'A' weaken the argument?

GMarc · Answer

A weakens the argument because it implies that the decrease of the total number of students applying in large corporation is due to fewer FOREIGN students rather than fewer CANADIAN students

PSKhore · Answer

The answer is (B). It's the only option that doesn't weaken the argument. The decrease in applications from foreign university graduates (A),the lack of data from some corporations (C, D), and the increase in graduates wanting to work at these companies (E) all suggest that the decrease in applications may not reflect a decline in interest from Canadian university graduates.
Option (B), however, focuses on hiring rates based on qualifications and doesn't directly address the number of applicants.

Source: AI Overview

licrolicro · Answer

Let's analyze the argument and the options systematically.
Core Argument:

Premise: Reports from large Canadian corporations show fewer university graduates applying for jobs over the last 5 years.

Conclusion: Therefore, fewer Canadian university graduates are seeking careers in these corporations now than 5 years ago.

Logical Flaw:

The argument assumes that the decrease in reported applications reflects an actual decrease in graduate interest. However, there could be other explanations for the reported decrease (e.g., changes in reporting practices, shifts in application channels, or competition from foreign graduates).
Question Task:

We need to identify which option does NOT weaken the argument (i.e., either strengthens it or is neutral).
Evaluating Each Option:

Option A: Foreign university graduates applying less would mean Canadian graduates might be applying more (to maintain total numbers). This suggests the reported decrease might not reflect Canadian graduate interest → weakens the argument.

Option B: If most applicants get rejected due to low qualifications, this explains why applications might decrease (graduates stop applying because they know they won't get hired). This provides an alternative explanation → weakens the argument.

Option C: If many corporations stopped reporting, the apparent decrease could just be due to missing data, not actual fewer applications → weakens the argument.

Option D: If corporations stopped reporting part-time/freelance applications, the decrease might just reflect a reporting change, not actual interest → weakens the argument.

Option E: Surveys show graduate interest in these corporations has actually increased. This directly contradicts the conclusion → weakens the argument.

Wait a minute—the question asks for the option that does NOT weaken the argument. But all options A-E seem to weaken it except... actually, no. Let me re-examine:

Option B is the tricky one. It provides a reason why applications might decrease (graduates know they won't get hired), but this doesn't challenge the conclusion that fewer graduates are seeking opportunities. It just explains why fewer might apply. So it doesn't directly weaken the link between applications and interest.
Correct Answer:

Option B is the exception because it doesn't provide an alternative explanation for the data (like the others do). Instead, it accepts that fewer graduates are applying but gives a reason unrelated to their interest in seeking opportunities.

Final Answer: B

According to reports provided by large Canadian corporations

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According to reports provided by large Canadian corporations

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