1 of 2 | Office workers walk through Ginza, one of Tokyo’s busiest commercial districts. Photo by Asia Today
June 21 (Asia Today) -- Japanese companies are intensifying efforts to recruit high school graduates as a declining birthrate and rising university enrollment reduce the number of young people seeking full-time employment immediately after graduation.
At the same time, worsening labor shortages in construction, transportation, manufacturing and other hands-on industries have pushed the ratio of job openings to high school graduate applicants to a record 4.12 this spring.
That means more than four positions were available for every student seeking employment.
The Yomiuri Shimbun reported Saturday that competition for young workers had intensified across Japan, prompting employers to offer higher wages, stable employment and technical jobs they say are difficult to replace with artificial intelligence.
