#Japan #Employment #ManpowerGroup #Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya

Overview of Employment Intentions in Japan

ManpowerGroup, a leading human resources service provider based in Minato-ku, Tokyo, has recently released its employment outlook survey results for the fourth quarter of 2026. This survey, conducted across 42 countries, aims to gauge hiring intentions among companies and institutions in Japan, particularly in major cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya.

The survey, which obtained responses from 1,036 companies across various sectors, reported that the seasonally adjusted net employment outlook stands at +7%, reflecting a 2-point increase from the previous quarter. While the quarter-to-quarter comparison shows improvement, the year-over-year data indicates a 6-point decline in hiring optimism, suggesting a mixed sentiment in the market. The survey segments its findings by region, industry type, and organizational size, updated to comply with the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

Understanding the Net Employment Outlook

The net employment outlook is calculated by taking the percentage of employers planning to increase their workforce and subtracting those planning decreases. With 20% of respondents indicating they would hire more staff and 14% planning layoffs, the resultant net figure is adjusted for seasonal variations, which have been tracked since the third quarter of 2006 in Japan.

On a global scale, the average net employment outlook stands at +29%, while Japan’s +7% remains comparatively low—indicating that while there is optimism, it is tempered by caution. Notably, there are clear signs of hesitance within the Japanese employment landscape, as many employers (64%) reported no change in their hiring outlook compared to the previous quarter.

Sector-Specific Trends

Among the nine classified sectors, eight anticipate a rise in employment. The