Many Japan firms positive about hiring new graduates: poll

March 18, 2018

Tokyo- More than 80 pct of major Japanese companies plan to increase hires of new graduates or at least maintain the number of hires in spring next year, according to a Jiji Press survey.

Companies in the housing industry plan to hire more new graduates than in the previous year and those in the distribution sector have same-level recruiting plans, while banks have yet to decide on the number of hires.

In the survey conducted on 100 major firms between mid-February and early March, 78 companies presented hiring plans.

Of them, 28 companies said they plan to increase hires in spring 2019 from a year before. In the previous year's survey, firms that were planning to boost spring hires totaled 17.

Companies planning to maintain the number of hires totaled 38, while those planning to reduce hires came to 12.

Nissan Motor Co. will hire about the same number of new graduates, saying that it needs manpower for promoting the commercialization of connected vehicles.

Consumer electronics maker Panasonic Corp. plans to boost the number of hires by about 13 pct to 900 to secure the workforce for starting new businesses and expanding existing operations.

Fast Retailing Co. will recruit about 550 new graduates, up 1.8-fold, for strengthening its clothing chains other than the mainstay Uniqlo.

Parcel delivery giant Yamato Holdings Co. said it failed to achieve the hiring target for spring 2018. The Yamato group companies conducted a joint internship program for the first time to keep in touch with students looking for jobs.

Meanwhile, West Japan Railway Co. , Nomura Securities Co., travel agency JTB Corp. and electronics maker NEC Corp. each plans to reduce the number of hires by over 10 pct.

There are companies that plan to take new approaches in recruiting students.

Among them, telecommunications firm Softbank Corp. will use artificial intelligence to sort out application forms so as to substantially shorten the screening process and reduce rating deviations. Department store operator Takashimaya Co. is utilizing social networking services in communicating with students willing to visit employees who graduated from same schools. Jiji Press