At least one in four major Japanese companies lack qualified information-technology staff despite the high unemployment rate amid the sluggish economy, according to a Kyodo News survey released Tuesday.
Most of the companies called on the government to take further measures to train IT personnel, saying such steps are needed to keep up with international competition.
The demand for IT workers at major companies suggests the situation is even worse at small and midsize firms.
Training competent IT personnel poses an immediate challenge for Japan, especially as it aims to become a global IT leader and also because it needs to promote industrial structural reform and recover its international competitiveness.
The survey questionnaires were sent to executives at 150 major companies in April, and 135 firms responded.
Sixty-five firms, or 48 percent, said they have enough IT personnel, while 36 companies, or 27 percent, said they need more. None of the firms had a glut of IT workers.
Two major electronic firms said they need at least 1,000 more IT workers. Seven other firms said they lack between 100 and 1,000 qualified employees. , 15 said 10 to 100, and seven said between one and 10.
Most companies found government strategy on training IT workers to be inadequate, with 86 firms, or 64 percent, saying it needs to be improved. Only 19 firms, or 14 percent, said it was sufficient.