TOKYO - A total of 98.0 percent of new university graduates who sought jobs were employed as of April 1, the same rate as the previous year and the second highest level on record, the labor ministry said Friday.
The figure reflects the continued demand for students, with an official of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare saying the labor shortage is tied to factors such as the country's declining birthrate and greying population.
"Many firms are aggressive in hiring," labor minister Kenichiro Ueno said at a press conference.
In Japan, April marks the start of the academic and business year for many educational institutions and companies.
According to data, which the government began collecting in 1997, the highest rate for the employment of university graduates was set in 2024 at 98.1 percent.
The ministry said the rate for men stood at 97.5 percent, down 0.1 percentage point, while that for women was up 0.2 point at 98.7 percent, a record high.
The survey covered graduates from 62 public and private universities.
The employment rate for science students rose from a year earlier to 98.1 percent, while that for humanities students fell to 98.0 percent.
