With cheerleaders shouting encouragement, more than 1,000 young Japanese trying to break into the job market held a pep rally in Tokyo on Tuesday to underscore what officials say is the bleakest employment outlook Japan has faced in years.
"It's a very tough situation, but I won't give up," said 19-year-old student Misato Shinotsuka.
The survey found less than 70 percent of university students had secured employment as of Dec. 1 — the lowest level since 1996, when the government began collecting data. It was almost 5 percentage points worse than last year.
The situation is even starker for junior college students, who made up the bulk of Tuesday's rally. Fewer than half of those graduating in March have jobs, the report said. Officials surveyed 6,250 students at 62 universities and 20 junior colleges across Japan.
A problem job seekers face is the reluctance of companies to hire amid a persistently high yen — which eats into the profits of exporters — and uncertainty about the global economy. Another major issue is corporate Japan's reluctance to boost jobs because firing workers is difficult.
Alarmed by the squeeze, the government has announced it will offer companies money to hire graduating students and is organizing nationwide job fairs featuring small and mid-size companies that may have been overlooked by job seekers.