OSAKA -- More students are taking their part-time jobs seriously as training for the future despite decreasing pay during Japan's economic slump, according to a survey released Friday of 500 students in the Kansai region.

Gakusei Engo-Kai Inc., a publisher of job placement magazines, surveyed university, junior college, high school and vocational school students in Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo prefectures in November.

The average hourly wage fell 66 yen to 896 yen from the survey carried out the year before. Only the average wage for female high school students increased, jumping 28 yen to 776 yen.

The percentage of respondents who said they have worked part-time dropped 6.7 percentage points to 72 percent, indicating that corporations were cutting down on part-time employment as the recession continues.

The average number of working days per year for employed students fell 7.4 days to 90.1 days, the survey shows.

As in the previous survey, supermarkets and convenience stores topped the list of sources of employment, with 17 percent of the student workforce, followed by tutoring and restaurants with 6.3 percent each.

On the question of why the students wanted to work, with multiple answers accepted, 72.6 percent said they worked to earn pocket money, 36.8 percent said they wanted to buy expensive fashion items and 15.2 percent said they wanted to make friends with those of the opposite sex.

But 44.4 percent, an increase of 1.7 percent from the previous year's survey, said they took their part-time jobs for work experience, while 11.6 percent of those responding, up 2.9 percent, said they worked to gain knowhow and qualifications for future jobs.