🌐
Job hunting in Japan by the numbers (English summary)
二次資料 2026-10-31 · 3 分
For students in Japan, especially international students: of university graduates who joined companies in March 2023, 31.2% left within three years (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The average starting salary for university graduates in 2025 was ¥262,300 a month, about ¥219,000 after social insurance and income tax. This page lists key numbers from Tally's Japanese articles, each with its source.
Choosing a company
| Number | What it means | Article (Japanese) |
|---|---|---|
| 31.2% | Share of 2023 university graduates who left their first job within 3 years. By industry: 11.8% (utilities) to 49.9% (hospitality) | 離職率 |
| 28.5% | Most common reason for leaving the first job: working hours, days off and leave | 辞めた理由 |
| ¥262,300 | Average monthly starting salary, university graduates (June 2025, before tax, excluding overtime) | 初任給 |
| ¥218,845 | Take-home pay from that salary in FY2026 (Tokyo, no dependents) | 手取り |
| 112.4 days | Average annual holidays per company | 年間休日 |
| 66.9% | Average share of paid leave actually taken (10 days after 6 months) | 有給 |
| 1.62 | Job openings per job-seeking graduate, class of 2027. Firms under 300 employees: 8.98 (2026); 5,000+: 0.34 | 求人倍率 |
Your rights while job hunting
| Rule | What it means | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Youth Employment Promotion Act, Art. 13(2) | Companies hiring new graduates must, on request, disclose at least one item in each of 3 categories (e.g. turnover, overtime, paid leave) | 若者雇用促進法 |
| 14 items | Things employers should not ask in interviews, such as family, religion, favorite books | 公正な採用選考 |
| Civil Code Art. 627 | You can decline a job offer even after accepting; the contract ends 2 weeks after notice | 内定辞退 |
| Equal Employment Act, Art. 13 (from Oct 2026) | Employers must take measures against sexual harassment of job seekers | 就活セクハラ |
For international students
| Number | What it means | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 1 – end of Jan | Period in which the Immigration Services Agency asks April hires to apply to change from "Student" to a work status | 留学生 |
| 6 months (+1 renewal) | "Designated Activities" status to keep job hunting after graduation, with school recommendation etc. | 留学生 |
| ¥313,200 | Average monthly wage of foreign workers in "professional/technical" statuses (2025) | 留学生 |
| 54 terms | Japanese job-hunting vocabulary with Chinese and English | 三語辞典 |
What one student's inbox showed (Apr–Oct 2026)
| Number | What it means | Article |
|---|---|---|
| 4,096 | Emails from 9 job sites in 7 months; 52% were "scout/offer" notices | サイトの全体像 |
| 1.2% | Share of job-site emails that were actual selection messages | サイトをやめる |
| 1,104 of 1,105 | Scout notices from one major site saying "companies cannot identify you" | スカウト |
| 32 | Company applicant portals (each with its own ID and password) | マイページの数 |
How we count and cite: 数え方. All key numbers in Japanese: 数字の一覧.
Sources are listed at the end of each linked Japanese article. Checked 2026-10-31.