50.6% of Japanese Companies Face Full-Time Staff Shortage, Exceeding Half for 4th Consecutive April, Teikoku Databank Survey Finds

Teikoku Databank conducted a survey on labor surpluses and shortages from April 16 to 30, 2026, targeting 23,083 companies nationwide. The survey received 10,538 valid responses (a response rate of 45.7%).

The results for April 2026 indicate that 50.6% of companies feel a shortage of full-time employees, while 28.3% report a shortage of non-full-time employees.

**Trends in Full-Time Employee Shortages** The proportion of companies facing a shortage of full-time employees was 50.6%, a slight decrease of 0.8 percentage points from the same month last year (51.4%) but remaining at a high level, exceeding 50% for the fourth consecutive April. By industry, 'Information Services' was the highest at 66.7% (down 3.2 points YoY). While the adoption of AI and DX has increased projects, securing personnel with matching skills has become difficult. One software development firm in Chiba commented, "Demand is growing for personnel who can properly design and manage systems using AI-generated code." Following were 'Transportation and Warehousing' (65.9%, up 1.9 points YoY), 'Maintenance, Security, and Inspection' (65.9%, down 3.5 points YoY), and 'Construction' (65.7%, down 3.2 points YoY). In total, seven industries reported shortage rates exceeding 60%.

**Trends in Non-Full-Time Employee Shortages** The percentage of companies feeling a shortage of non-full-time employees was 28.3%, a 1.7-point decrease from the same month last year (30.0%) and falling below 30% in April for the first time in four years. By industry, 'Human Resource Services and Recruiting' was the highest at 60.0% (up 0.5 points YoY), the only industry in the 60% range. Meanwhile, industries that previously faced severe shortages, such as 'Restaurants' (59.1%, down 6.2 points YoY) and 'Inns and Hotels' (38.5%), continued to show improvement. Notably, 'Inns and Hotels' dropped into the 30% range for the first time in four years and two months (since February 2022). This is attributed to productivity gains from DX and the spread of spot work, as well as a stabilization of customer traffic due to price hikes and shifts in inbound tourism.

**Future Outlook** The shortage of full-time employees is expected to remain high due to the aging and retirement of the working population. Competition for skilled talent, particularly in the information services sector, is likely to continue. Rising labor costs and difficulty in securing personnel are becoming critical factors affecting companies' ability to accept orders and maintain profitability.