Abe Wants to Maintain Graduate Recruitment Rules

September 4, 2018

Tokyo- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday sought to keep the Japan Business Federation's guidelines on its member companies' college graduate recruitment in place.

The guidelines by the federation, known as Keidanren, include a ban until every June on holding job interviews with students graduating next March.

"I want the rules to be observed" as they reflect the government's "request on the business community to delay recruitment activities," Abe said in response to a question from a college student at an event organized by his Liberal Democratic Party in Tachikawa, Tokyo.

Earlier in the day, Keidanren Chairman Hiroaki Nakanishi revealed a plan to scrap the guidelines. Abe's comments suggested his opposition to the Keidanren plan, without directly mentioning it.

"Companies are moving up recruitment activities to secure good students early, as the employment situation is improving," Abe said. "But it's wrong that job hunting comes before studying, which is the prime duty of students."

The prime minister also said the government is urging the business community not to use internship programs as a tool to make earlier job offers. "I hope that companies will fairly assess your achievements from studying for four years." Jiji Press