Some 3,000 students graduating from vocational schools in spring 2005 held a pep rally Thursday in Tokyo to bolster their spirits before setting out to look for jobs amid a dire employment situation.
Students from 14 vocational colleges in Tokyo and other major cities attended the event in Hibiya Park.
"We will fight through (the job-hunting war) without losing courage despite the severe employment situation," 18-year-old student Natsumi Arai declared to his cheering compatriots clad in "recruit" suits worn by job-hunters.
The employment situation has remained tough, especially for new graduates, with the jobless rate continuing to hit high levels.
As of Dec. 1, only 53.1 percent of vocational college students graduating this spring were assured of jobs, down 1.2 points from a year earlier.
