Number of New Graduates Employed as Construction Engineers Decreases for Third Consecutive Year, While Diverse New Graduate Groups, Including Women and Non-Engineering Majors, Increase, Changing Employment Composition
The number of new graduates employed as construction engineers decreased for the third consecutive year, but the proportion of women and non-engineering majors increased.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: March 28, 2026 at 16:09
- 🔍 Collected: March 28, 2026 at 21:59 (5h 50m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 06:31 (416h 31m after Collected)
Human Resocia Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Tetsuo Takahashi; hereinafter "the Company"), a comprehensive human resources service company that provides temporary staffing, overseas engineer dispatch, and recruitment services for the construction industry, has compiled and analyzed the latest data on the employment trends of new graduates as construction engineers, who will bear the future business foundation in the construction industry, where a long-standing labor shortage has been pointed out. The survey results revealed that the number of new graduates from universities and other institutions employed as construction engineers decreased by 0.9% year-on-year to approximately 22,000, marking a third consecutive year of decline. Furthermore, there has been an increase in the number of postgraduates finding employment, and the proportion of women and graduates from non-engineering backgrounds has risen, indicating a change in the composition of new graduates employed as construction engineers.
[Key Findings of This Survey]
● The number of new graduates employed as construction engineers was approximately 22,000, a 0.9% decrease year-on-year, marking a third consecutive year of decline.
● The number of postgraduates increased, university graduates saw a slight increase, and vocational school graduates decreased.
● The proportion of women and graduates from non-engineering backgrounds increased, leading to a change in the composition of employed individuals.
・This report compiles and analyzes data on graduates' employment by occupation from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's "Basic School Survey," covering graduates of higher education institutions: graduate schools, universities, junior colleges, colleges of technology, and vocational schools.
・For graduates of graduate schools, universities, junior colleges, and colleges of technology, "construction engineers" are defined as those employed as "architectural, civil engineering, and surveying technicians" among professional and technical workers. For graduates of vocational schools, "construction engineers" are defined as those employed in the "surveying" and "civil engineering/architecture" fields, specifically those majoring in these areas.
1. Background
In the construction industry, the aging workforce and a shortage of skilled workers have been pointed out, making human resource securing a critical issue. Amidst this, companies are seen to be strengthening their efforts in hiring new graduates. Based on these trends, we compiled and analyzed the latest data on the employment situation of new graduates as construction engineers, specifically focusing on the trends of those graduating in March 2025.
2. Overview of Survey Results
● Number of New Graduates Employed as Construction Engineers Decreases for Third Consecutive Year
The number of graduates from higher education institutions (graduate schools, universities, junior colleges, colleges of technology, and vocational schools) who found employment as construction engineers in March 2025 was approximately 22,000, a 0.9% decrease year-on-year. This marks a third consecutive year of decline since the decrease began in 2023, suggesting that recruiting new graduates remains a challenging situation.
● University Graduates See an Increase, But Growth is Limited
The number of university (undergraduate) graduates employed as construction engineers, who account for approximately 60% of all new hires and are central to new graduate recruitment, increased by 0.3% year-on-year to approximately 13,000 in 2025. Although this marks a shift from two consecutive years of decline to an increase, the growth is limited and has not led to a significant recovery.