Record low 68.8% graduating university students receive job offers+

Record low 68.8% graduating university students receive job offers+

TOKYO, Jan. 18 (AP) - (Kyodo)—Only 68.8 percent of university students had found jobs as of Dec. 1 before their graduation this March, down 4.3 percentage points from a year earlier and the lowest level since 1996, when comparable data became available, a government survey showed Tuesday.
Among junior college students, the percentage stood at 45.3 percent, also a record low and down 2.1 points, according to the survey conducted by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry and the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry.

The ministries picked 62 four-year universities, both public and private, and 20 two-year junior colleges nationwide to check job offer conditions for graduating students.

The survey showed 70.1 percent of male students had got job offers, down 2.9 points, and 67.4 percent of female students, down 5.8 points. Among students at state- and local government-run universities, 76.7 percent had received job offers, down 4.0 points, while 66.3 percent at private ones had found jobs, down 4.2 points.

Job offers to science and engineering students fell by the largest margin ever, down 7.3 points to 71.3 percent, according to the survey.

An education ministry official said, "Companies favor students from graduate school as work-ready graduates."

Among students majoring in humanities courses, 68.3 percent had received job offers, down 3.7 points.

In the face of the tough employment situation, the labor ministry on Tuesday announced temporary measures to help graduating high school and university students find jobs, featuring subsidies to be paid to companies that decide to employ such students during a two-month period through March.

It will also organize job fairs bringing together students and companies, particularly small- and midsize ones, nationwide.

It has been pointed out that while there are small- and midsize companies that are little known but aggressive in employing, graduating students tend to favor big, high-profile corporations.