"Works Graduate Job Offer Ratio Survey" Special Report: University Graduate Starting Salaries and New Graduate Recruitment Trends - Average Starting Salaries for University Graduates Starting in April 2025 Increased Across All Employee Scale and Industry Categories

Overview

This is a special report from the "Works Graduate Job Offer Ratio Survey" by Recruit Works Institute, analyzing starting salary trends and new graduate recruitment patterns for university graduates entering employment in April 2025. ## Key Points ### 1. Survey Overview and Background - **Survey Name**: Special report of the Works Graduate Job Offer Ratio Survey - **Target Period**: University graduates entering employment in April 2025 - **Survey Content**: Trends in university graduate starting salaries and actual conditions of new graduate recruitment - **Survey Significance**: Analysis of corporate recruitment strategies amid intensifying talent acquisition competition and wage increase pressures ### 2. Comprehensive Increase in University Graduate Starting Salaries - **Key Finding**: Average starting salaries for university graduates entering in April 2025 increased across all employee scale and industry categories - **Universality of Increase**: Starting salaries rose regardless of company size and across all industries - **Background Factors**: - Intensified recruitment competition due to labor shortages - Response to price increases - Improvement of employment conditions to secure talented personnel - **Wage Trends**: Reflects the continuation of a sellers' market in the new graduate recruitment market ### 3. Mismatch Between Starting Salary Increases and Recruitment Results - **Recruitment Difficulties**: Even among companies that increased starting salaries from the previous year, more than half could not secure the necessary number of employees - **Corporate Challenges**: - Difficulty achieving recruitment targets through wage increases alone - Diversification of students' company selection criteria - Further intensification of recruitment competition - **Structural Problems**: Gap between declining working-age population and corporate recruitment demand ### 4. Implications for the New Graduate Recruitment Market - **Impact on Companies**: - Continuous rise in talent acquisition costs - Need to create appeal beyond starting salaries - Demand for diversification and sophistication of recruitment strategies - **Changes in Labor Market**: - Limitations of simultaneous new graduate recruitment - Competition with year-round recruitment and mid-career hiring - Need for innovation in talent acquisition methods - **Future Outlook**: Transition from starting salary competition to comprehensive corporate attractiveness competition This report reveals the structural challenges of the current new graduate recruitment market, where many companies cannot achieve their recruitment targets despite comprehensive increases in starting salaries.

Key Points

1. Survey Overview and Background

Survey Name: Special report of the Works Graduate Job Offer Ratio Survey
Target Period: University graduates entering employment in April 2025
Survey Content: Trends in university graduate starting salaries and actual conditions of new graduate recruitment
Survey Significance: Analysis of corporate recruitment strategies amid intensifying talent acquisition competition and wage increase pressures

2. Comprehensive Increase in University Graduate Starting Salaries

Key Finding: Average starting salaries for university graduates entering in April 2025 increased across all employee scale and industry categories
Universality of Increase: Starting salaries rose regardless of company size and across all industries
Background Factors:
- Intensified recruitment competition due to labor shortages
- Response to price increases
- Improvement of employment conditions to secure talented personnel
Wage Trends: Reflects the continuation of a sellers' market in the new graduate recruitment market

3. Mismatch Between Starting Salary Increases and Recruitment Results

Recruitment Difficulties: Even among companies that increased starting salaries from the previous year, more than half could not secure the necessary number of employees
Corporate Challenges:
- Difficulty achieving recruitment targets through wage increases alone
- Diversification of students' company selection criteria
- Further intensification of recruitment competition
Structural Problems: Gap between declining working-age population and corporate recruitment demand

4. Implications for the New Graduate Recruitment Market

Impact on Companies:
- Continuous rise in talent acquisition costs
- Need to create appeal beyond starting salaries
- Demand for diversification and sophistication of recruitment strategies
Changes in Labor Market:
- Limitations of simultaneous new graduate recruitment
- Competition with year-round recruitment and mid-career hiring
- Need for innovation in talent acquisition methods
Future Outlook: Transition from starting salary competition to comprehensive corporate attractiveness competition

This report reveals the structural challenges of the current new graduate recruitment market, where many companies cannot achieve their recruitment targets despite comprehensive increases in starting salaries.