TOKYO -- Nearly 96% of university students scheduled to graduate in the spring of 2025 had received job offers from companies as of Oct. 1, according to a survey by Tokyo-based Recruit Co.

The rate increased 3.9 percentage points from the year before, to 95.9%, which was the highest since the 2012 survey targeting 2013 graduates. More than 60% of the latest respondents got offers from two or more companies, clearly indicating a "seller's market" in which students have the upper hand.

The survey was conducted from Oct. 1 to 4 among university students registered with Rikunabi, an employment support website operated by Recruit. Responses from 790 students were tallied.

Each year, the survey examines the situation of employment offers, including unofficial precontract job offers, as of Oct. 1. In the 2012 survey the rate was 76.2% for 2013 graduates. Although a simple comparison cannot be made due to the change in the start of recruitment activities to the current June 1 beginning with the 2017 graduates, the rate has, with one exception, remained in the 90% range since that year. That exception was for 2021 graduates, who are believed to have been greatly affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the latest survey, by the number of companies from which they received job offers, "one" accounted for the largest percentage at 34.0%, followed by "two" at 28.5%. Those who received offers from multiple firms increased 3.4 points from the previous year to a total of 66.0%. Furthermore, 5.3% received offers from five employers, and 6.0% received offers from six or more.

Regarding the type of business in which they decided to work, the most common was "information and communications" at 25.3%, continuing a trend from the previous year. This was followed by "machinery and equipment manufacturing" at 14.5% and "manufacturing (other than machinery)" at 13.4%.

Many companies held job offer ceremonies for prospective employees on Oct. 1. According to Recruit, while some students have solidified their intention to work, others are wavering in their feelings, wondering if their choice of employer was truly the right one. A Recruit employee calls on companies to "provide opportunities for active communication and information that will help prospective employees visualize what it will be like to work at the company after joining."

(Japanese original by Yuko Shimada, Business News Department)