Some 800,000 new high school and college graduates experienced their first day as regular workers at Friday's start of the new fiscal year, with companies and public offices across Japan holding welcome ceremonies for them.
As of Feb. 1, 83 percent of college graduates received informal job offers, up 0.5 percentage point from a year earlier, while 82 percent of high school graduates received offers at the end of January, up 5 points, according to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.
The upturn apparently reflects the fact that companies, many seeing a recovery in their business, are increasing hiring before the expected exodus of retiring baby boomers in the coming few years.