The number of women to be hired as fast-track career bureaucrats will reach a record 124, or 19.3 percent of the 642 potential recruits for fiscal 2004, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Tuesday.

The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry will employ the most female career bureaucrats, 24; followed by the Justice Ministry, 17; and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, 13.

In the current fiscal year, which began April 1, a record 106 women, or 16.8 percent of all the new top bureaucrats, were hired.