"I Have Something I Want to Do," But I Can't Move. The Barrier to "Finding a Job That Suits Me" Stopping 20-Somethings' Job Search | The 7th 20s Job Search White Paper by TSUNAGUBA

TSUNAGUBA Co., Ltd. (Location: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Masatoshi Nakamura; hereinafter referred to as TSUNAGUBA) conducted a "Survey on Criteria for Job Selection" targeting individuals in their 20s from June 10 to June 16, 2026.

A total of 322 people (162 males, 160 females) participated in this survey, which investigated their thoughts on job selection, conditions they wish to avoid when choosing a workplace, and how to find a job that suits them.

The results showed that approximately 70% of 20-somethings responded that "they do not have a clear idea of the work or job type they want to do." On the other hand, only 0.6% answered "I don't know what I want to do or what I want to avoid," indicating that many 20-somethings are not "thinking about nothing," but rather have some form of criteria for judgment.

Furthermore, regarding conditions they "absolutely want to avoid" when choosing a workplace, "poor human relationships/highly competitive atmosphere" was the most frequent at 43.2%, significantly exceeding salary and overtime. Additionally, concerning how to find a job that suits them, "I have a general idea, but I don't know how to search" was the most common response at 48.5%, revealing that for 20-somethings' job search, the challenge of "not knowing how to start" is greater than "whether or not they have something they want to do."

Based on these survey results, TSUNAGUBA will propose the creation of an environment where 20-somethings can confidently take their first career step and emphasize the importance of career support that aligns with individual values and anxieties.

Approximately 70% of 20-somethings "don't have a clear idea of what they want to do," yet almost everyone has some criteria.

Q1. When choosing a job, which of the following is closest to you?

Only 30.4% responded "I have a clear idea of the work or job type I want to do." On the other hand, 34.5% said "I have a general direction of what I want to do, but it's not specific," and another 34.5% said "I don't particularly have anything I want to do, but there are ways of working I want to avoid," indicating that about 70% of 20-somethings do not have a specific job type or work.

However, only 0.6% responded "I don't know what I want to do or what I want to avoid," revealing that most people have some form of criteria for judgment.

POINT

"I have a clear idea of the work or job type I want to do" was 30.4% "I have a general direction" and "I want to avoid certain ways of working" were both 34.5% "Unclear about what I want to do or avoid" was only 0.6% 20-somethings may have criteria that they haven't fully verbalized, rather than having nothing they want to do.

Looking at the gender breakdown, "I have a general direction of what I want to do" was higher for men at 38.3% compared to women, while "I don't particularly have anything I want to do, but there are ways of working I want to avoid" was higher for women at 40.0% compared to men.

These results suggest that men tend to think about jobs from a broader direction, while women tend to choose jobs based on ways of working they want to avoid and elements of anxiety.

The biggest "no-go" condition is "human relationships." Workplace atmosphere prioritized over salary and overtime.

Q2. When choosing a workplace/company, please tell us the conditions you "absolutely want to avoid."

The most frequently cited condition to avoid when choosing a workplace was "poor human relationships/highly competitive atmosphere" at 43.2%. This result significantly surpassed "low salary/salary not increasing" at 22.1% (2nd place) and "overtime/long working hours" at 14.3% (3rd place).

This indicates that for 20-somethings, the biggest anxieties in job selection are not just about compensation and working hours, but also about daily human relationships and atmosphere in the workplace.

POINT

The #1 "no-go" condition for workplace selection is "poor human relationships/highly competitive atmosphere" at 43.2% Low salary was 22.1%, and overtime/long working hours was 14.3% "Unreasonable instructions from superiors/company" was the lowest at 7.5% There is a tendency for stronger anxiety about the overall human relationships and atmosphere of the workplace than about unreasonable instructions themselves.

By gender, 50.0% of women selected "poor human relationships/highly competitive atmosphere" as a "no-go" condition, significantly exceeding the 36.4% of men. On the other hand, "low salary/salary not increasing" was higher for men at 27.8% compared to women at 16.3%.

This suggests that women have strong anxieties about workplace human relationships and atmosphere, while men are relatively more sensitive to salary aspects.

Only 16.8% of 20-somethings clearly know "how to find a job that suits them."

Q3. Regarding how to find a job that suits you, which of the following is closest to your current situation?

Only 16.8% responded that they "have a clear image of what suits them and know how to search."

On the other hand, "I have a general idea, but I don't know how to search" was the most common response at 48.5%. When combined with "I don't know what suits me and can't search" (20.2%), "I want to search, but I don't know where to start" (7.8%), and "I'm not actively searching right now" (6.8%), over 80% expressed some form of hesitation or stagnation in their job search.

POINT

"Know how to search clearly" was 16.8% The most common response was "I have a general idea, but I don't know how to search" at 48.5% The challenge for 20-somethings' job search lies not only in self-understanding but also in the first step. Support is needed not only for finding what one wants to do but also for the concrete search process.

By gender, "I want to search, but I don't know where to start" was 10.6% for women, approximately double the 4.9% for men. Also, "I'm not actively searching right now" showed a difference, with 10.0% for women and 3.7% for men.

It is thought that among women, there is a certain segment who are interested in job searching but are unable to take action because they don't know where to start.

Even "those who have something they want to do" are not moving. What stops the job search is the difficulty in seeing the first step.

Q3 Options

Total

I have a clear image of a job that suits me and I know how to search

36.73% (36 people)

I have a general idea, but I don't know how to search

43.88% (43 people)

I don't know what suits me and I can't search

9.18% (9 people)

I want to search, but I don't know where to start

4.08% (4 people)

I'm not actively searching right now

6.12% (6 people)

Total

100% (98 people)

A cross-tabulation of Q1 and Q3 showed that 43.9% of those who answered "I have a clear idea of the work or job type I want to do" also responded "I have a general idea, but I don't know how to search."

This means that even people who have a clear idea of what they want to do are not necessarily progressing smoothly in their job search.

In the past, career support has emphasized approaches like "first, find what you want to do" and "conduct self-analysis." However, the current results suggest that the major challenge is not just whether one has something they want to do, but "how to connect that to a job search" and "how to take the first step."

On the other hand, among those who answered "I don't particularly have anything I want to do, but there are ways of working I want to avoid," "I don't know what suits me and can't search" was the most common response at 38.7%.

This group, while not having a specific desired job type, does have ways of working they want to avoid and anxieties. Therefore, instead of broadly categorizing them as "not having anything they want to do," it is considered important to provide support that helps them think about their careers starting from "what they want to avoid" and "what kind of environment would allow them to work with peace of mind."

"Human relationships are something you can't know until you join." The most important condition is the hardest to confirm.

In the free-response section, multiple comments were received such as "You can't know about human relationships until you join" and "You can't see the workplace atmosphere from just the job posting."

While "human relationships" was the most avoided condition when choosing a workplace, it is also information that is difficult for job seekers to confirm before joining the company.

This contradiction of "the most important thing is the hardest to see" may be making job searching difficult for 20-somethings.

Additionally, comments such as "I feel rushed comparing myself to others," "I don't know where to start," and "even when I consulted an agent, they couldn't help me find a job that suited me" were also found in the free-response section.

It appears that 20-somethings' job search is burdened not only by a lack of information but also by feelings of loneliness, distrust, and anxiety about taking action.

The content of "not having something to do" differs by gender. Careful understanding is also needed from recruitment and support sides.

This survey revealed differences in tendencies between genders even within the same state of "not having a clear idea of what one wants to do."

Men had a higher rate of "having a general direction of what I want to do" (38.3%), indicating many have a vague positive direction, while women had a higher rate of "not particularly having anything I want to do, but there are ways of working I want to avoid" (40.0%), showing a tendency to choose jobs based on anxieties about working styles and environments.

These results indicate that recruitment and career support providers need to carefully examine the anxieties and values behind the statement "I don't have anything I want to do," rather than interpreting it uniformly.

In particular, women showed strong anxiety about human relationships and stagnation due to not knowing where to start, suggesting the importance of a supportive environment for consultation and assistance in translating ideas into concrete actions.

Summary: "Self-analysis" alone is not enough. What 20-somethings need is support to turn their criteria into action.

This survey revealed that many 20-somethings do not "lack something they want to do," but rather possess criteria such as "a general direction" or "ways of working they want to avoid."

However, many are lost on how to connect these criteria to their job search, which jobs to look at, and how to take the first step.

In particular, anxieties about information that is difficult to ascertain from job postings alone, such as human relationships and workplace atmosphere, are significant and may be hindering job search activities.

TSUNAGUBA will provide support that goes beyond self-understanding to accompany individuals through the concrete first steps of their job search, while being attentive to each 20-something's values and anxieties.

Notes on Reprinting Survey Results

When reprinting the results of this survey, please clearly state "Survey on Criteria for Job Selection" by TSUNAGUBA Co., Ltd. as the source and include a link to the official website.

Survey Overview

Survey Name: Survey on Criteria for Job Selection Survey Method: Internet Survey Survey Period: June 10, 2026 - June 16, 2026 Number of Respondents: 322 Gender: 162 males, 160 females Target Audience: Men and women in their 20s Survey Conducted by: 100-nin Questionnaire Publication: TSUNAGUBA Co., Ltd.

Company Overview

Company Name: TSUNAGUBA Co., Ltd. Business Activities: Paid Employment Placement Business, Management Consulting Services President and CEO: Masatoshi Nakamura URL: https://www.tunaguba.co.jp/ Location: 1 WORK VILLA MITOSHIRO Home 6, Kanda-Mitoshirocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0053 Phone Number: 050-5809-3041

Inquiries Regarding Press Releases, Public Relations, Interviews, and TSUNAGUBA

Contact Person: Yudai Shimada Phone: 050-5809-3041 Email: yudai_shimada@tunaguba.co.jp *Please include "Inquiry regarding this matter" when contacting us.