Nearly half, or 42%, of major Japanese firms are planning to increase hires of new graduates in fiscal 2023, according to a survey from Kyodo News published in The Japan Times (paywall). The survey reflects more companies projecting a recovery from the pandemic. The ratio of such optimistic firms jumped by 25% from a survey held a year ago. It topped that of companies planning to curb new graduate hiring, 9%, for the first time in three years. Of the 117 companies polled, 49 said they will hire more in the year starting next April compared with levels in the previous year. The survey also found that the fallout on their recruitment plan from the Russian war on Ukraine is seen as relatively limited. Among other respondents, 30% said they will maintain the same levels as fiscal 2022 while 14% were undecided.

Businesses that had been hard hit by the pandemic, such as airlines and the tourism sector, stood out in their resolve to increase recruitment as they explore new ways for growth. In contrast, some companies in the finance and energy sectors said they will curb hires of new graduates. They instead plan to expand mid-career recruitment and improve business efficiency through digitisation. In the survey, the most common reason given to raising recruitment was "expanding business" at 33%, followed by 18% noting the need to balance the age distribution of employees.