Recovery Seen in Major Japan Firms’ Appetite for New Grad Hiring

Jiji Press

16:46 JST, March 31, 2022

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — A recent Jiji Press survey has indicated a recovery in major Japanese companies’ appetite for hiring new graduates from a slump caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The number of companies planning to hire more new graduates in spring 2023 than a year before came to 33, up from eight in the previous year’s survey.

The number of those planning to hire fewer graduates decreased to nine from 19, and that of those planning to keep new hiring at the same levels as those for 2022 was 33.

The latest survey covered 100 major companies. Of them, 25 said they have yet to decide hiring plans for 2023 or declined to give answers.

Among the companies looking to expand recruitment was airline group ANA Holdings Inc., which will resume hiring of new graduates for career-track positions for the first time in three years.

“With a view to normalizing the scale of our operations, we will secure human resources,” said the parent of All Nippon Airways, which has been hit hard by a plunge in travel demand caused by the pandemic.

Travel agency JTB Corp. will also resume new grad hiring, for the first time in two years. West Japan Railway Co., or JR West, is set to increase its quota for new grad hiring.

Logistics group Yamato Holdings Co., which is enjoying a spike in demand for its parcel delivery services thanks partly to the growing popularity of online shopping, will continue with proactive hiring.

Nissan Motor Co. plans to secure more human resources, mainly engineers, in order to accelerate its efforts to advance electrification and other technologies as the auto industry is facing a “once-in-a-century” change.

In contrast, East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, will keep cutting back new hiring, saying that it aims to “further improve productivity.”

Tokyo Gas Co. said it plans a slight cut in new grad hiring, in order to increase its hiring of mid-career workers who are ready to play important roles in renewable energy and other new fields.

“Many companies appear active in hiring new graduates, in anticipation of a post-pandemic demand recovery,” Kozue Togo of job information provider Mynavi Corp. said. “This trend is expected to continue next year.”