日本大學生就業難

Recently the NHK News reported the following:

大学生をめぐる雇用情勢が厳しさを増していることを受け、政府と経済界それに大学の関係者が意見を交わす懇話会の初会合が開かれ、大学側は、企業の採用活動の早期化は、学生の教育機会の減少につながるとして是正するよう求めました。
初会合で、冒頭、高木文部科学大臣があいさつし、「大学生の就職内定率がたいへん厳しい状況になっており、政府は、雇用問題を当面の最大の課題にして取り組んでいる。就職活動が、学生と企業の双方にとってよりよいものになるよう意見交換してほしい」と述べました。会合では、企業の採用活動の時期について意見が交わされ、大学側は「企業の採用活動の早期化により、学生の教育機会が相当減っている」と懸念を示しました。これに対し、経済界側から「問題が深刻なのは理解している」といった意見が出る一方で「外資系企業も採用活動を行うなか、日本の企業だけ採用時期を遅らせるのは難しい」といった指摘も出されました。懇話会は、今後も定期的に会合を開き、大学生の雇用問題をめぐって意見を交わすことにしています。
It was admitted that the employment situation of university students was facing increased severity, and the university opened the first opinion exchange gathering meeting for friendly discussion for concerned parties of the university, the government and the business world; and requested changes to the early stage recruitment activity held by the enterprise which was assumed to have caused a reduction in student's educational opportunity.

In the first meeting, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Takagi started with his greetings and said that ｢The rate for university students to find initial employment is in a very severe situation, and the government makes the question on employment the immediate, biggest problem and is working on it. I want you to exchange opinions so that job hunting may become better for both the student and the enterprise｣. In the meeting, the opinion on the timing of recruitment activities by the enterprise was exchanged, and the university expressed concern that "Student's educational opportunity was correspondingly reduced due to the early stage recruitment activity of the enterprise". In response to this, from the business world the opinion expressed was that "the seriousness of the problem was understood", it was also pointed out that "It was difficult for the Japanese businesses to delay the employment time schedule while the foreign companies did the employment activity". The gathering for friendly discussion would have regularly sessions in the future, and it was decided to exchange opinions on questions about university student's employment.

It seems that university student employment situation in Japan is causing concern for the government.