Japanese firms compete for high school recruits amid labor crunch
· UPIJune 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.
About 480 students and 66 companies attended a career experience event for high school students in Tokyo's Minato ward on June 5.
Yoshida Disaster Prevention Equipment, a company that inspects fire protection systems, displayed a sign offering monthly pay of 300,000 yen, about $1,870.
The figure is nearly 1.5 times the average starting monthly salary of 207,300 yen, about $1,290, for Japanese high school graduates last year, according to a Labor Ministry survey.
The company began recruiting high school graduates last year because of a worker shortage and set their starting salaries at the same level as those offered to university graduates.
"We are attracting motivated high school students who want to learn technical skills and earn money," a company personnel official said.
Japanese employers are increasingly interested in high school graduates because they are viewed as quick learners who can absorb new knowledge and skills.
Some employers describe them as "sponge talent."
The number of high school students entering the workforce, however, has declined as Japan's youth population shrinks and more students attend college.
Competition for young workers has consequently intensified in industries requiring employees at construction sites, factories and transportation operations.
Zev, a floor-coating company attending a June 11 recruitment event in Yokohama's Naka ward, promoted its work with the phrase, "Some jobs cannot be done by AI."
A personnel official said workers must adjust coating materials according to the type of flooring, temperature and humidity and then apply them evenly while continuously checking their condition.
"It is delicate work that can only be done by human hands," the official said.
Students are also beginning to view hands-on occupations differently.
A student attending the evening program at Yokohama Municipal Totsuka High School expressed interest in becoming a bus driver.
"I realized that there are many things AI cannot do," the student said.
Seito Furuya, a senior researcher at the Recruit Works Institute, said companies were becoming increasingly alarmed by the aging of experienced workers and the shortage of young people available to replace them.
Despite plentiful job opportunities, early resignations remain a challenge.
A Labor Ministry survey found that 16.6% of high school graduates who entered the workforce in spring 2024 left their jobs within one year, compared with 10.1% of university graduates.
One factor cited in the high turnover rate is Japan's longstanding practice of initially allowing each high school student to apply to only one company.
The recruitment schedule for high school students is established through consultations among the government, schools and business organizations.
Companies may begin submitting high school job postings July 1. Students review listings through their schools and initially select one company.
Schools may submit student applications beginning Sept. 5 and companies may begin screening applicants and making informal job offers Sept. 16.
In Tokyo, students may apply to a second company beginning Oct. 1.
The system was developed during Japan's period of rapid economic growth as an efficient way to connect students with employers.
Critics now say it restricts students' choices and increases the risk of poor matches between young workers and their employers.
High school graduates who join small companies may also have few or no colleagues of the same age with whom they can discuss workplace difficulties.
Although competition among companies to recruit high school students is intensifying, Japan's next challenge is developing a system that helps those young workers remain in their jobs after they are hired.
-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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