Unofficial Job Offer Rate at 66.0% as of End of March, Still High but Below Previous Year. Science Students' Growth Slows to 74.2%, Humanities at 62.0%. Nearly 70% of Students Still Active [2027 Graduate Survey]
Key facts
- Unofficial Job Offer Rate at 66.0% as of End of March, Still High but Below Previous Year. Science Students' Growth Slows to 74.2%, Humanities at 62.0%. Nearly 70% of Students Still Active [2027 Graduate Survey]
- Gakujo Co., Ltd. announced that the unofficial job offer rate for 2027 graduates as of the end of March was 66.0%, which is still high but lower than the same period last year. The growth for science students slowed, while humanities students saw a rapid increase.
- Source: PR Times
- Date: April 3, 2026
Direct answer
Gakujo Co., Ltd. announced that the unofficial job offer rate for 2027 graduates as of the end of March was 66.0%, which is still high but lower than the same period last year. The growth for science students slowed, while humanities students saw a rapid increase.
- Citation
- Unofficial Job Offer Rate at 66.0% as of End of March, Still High but Below Previous Year. Science Students' Growth Slows to 74.2%, Humanities at 62.0%. Nearly 70% of Students Still Active [2027 Graduate Survey] (April 3, 2026), PR Times
- Source
- PR Times
- Date
- April 3, 2026
Gakujo Co., Ltd. announced that the unofficial job offer rate for 2027 graduates as of the end of March was 66.0%, which is still high but lower than the same period last year. The growth for science students slowed, while humanities students saw a rapid increase.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 3, 2026 at 01:38
- 🔍 Collected: April 2, 2026 at 19:35
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 17, 2026 at 23:14 (363h 38m after Collected)
Gakujo Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo) conducted an internet survey on the latest "unofficial job offer acquisition status" targeting university and graduate school students scheduled to graduate (complete) in March 2027.
The unofficial job offer rate as of the end of March was 66.0%. While it increased by 10.3 percentage points from the previous month, approaching 70%, it was 3.7 percentage points lower than the 69.7% recorded in the same period last year. Compared to the 53.7% of the same period for 2025 graduates, it is significantly higher, maintaining a high rate. However, this is the first time in this season's survey that the rate fell below the same period last year. The main factor is the sluggish growth among science students, which only increased by 3.9 percentage points from the previous month to 74.2%, falling 8.6 percentage points below the same period last year. It appears that early selections and unofficial job offers, primarily for science students through internships, had advanced, leading to a calmer movement this time. In contrast, humanities students, whose growth had been slow last month, saw a rapid increase of 13.5 percentage points from the previous month, reaching 62.0%—almost on par with the previous year—following the lifting of recruitment advertising restrictions on March 1st. The gap between humanities and science students, which was over 20 percentage points, has narrowed. The job search activity rate decreased by 11.8 percentage points from the previous month to 67.2%, which is about 4 percentage points higher than the same period last year, indicating that nearly 70% of students are still active.
**【TOPICS】**
**(1) First time this season's survey falls below previous year's level; possibility of a turning point for the "super seller's market"**
**(2) Humanities students surge after PR lifting, science students hit the brakes; gap between academic fields narrows**
**(3) Job search activity rate higher than previous year at 67.2%; nearly 60% of science students continue activities**
▽ For more details, please see the URL below.
https://service.gakujo.ne.jp/jinji-library/report/27naiteiritsu0402/
**(1) First time this season's survey falls below previous year's level; possibility of a turning point for the "super seller's market"**
The unofficial job offer rate for 2027 graduates in April (as of the end of March) was 66.0%, an increase of 10.3 percentage points from the previous month. After the lifting of recruitment advertising restrictions on March 1st, it reached a high rate close to 70%. However, this is the first time in this season's survey, which had been setting new monthly records for the highest values under the current job hunting schedule, that the rate fell below the same period last year (69.7%).
The last time the unofficial job offer rate fell below the same period last year was at the end of May 2025, but at that time, the year-on-year decrease was only for humanities students, and the job search activity rate was lower than the previous year for both academic fields, making it a temporary and limited phenomenon. This time, the unofficial job offer rate is lower than the previous year for both academic fields, while the job search activity rate is higher. With an uncertain economic outlook, there is a possibility that the new graduate recruitment market, often called a "super seller's market," is at a turning point.
**(2) Humanities students surge after PR lifting, science students hit the brakes; gap between academic fields narrows**
By academic field, humanities students saw a 13.5 percentage point increase from the previous month to 62.0%, a slight decrease from the same period last year. Science students saw a 3.9 percentage point increase from the previous month to 74.2%, which is 8.6 percentage points lower than the same period last year. While humanities students, whose growth had been slow last month, saw a rapid increase following the lifting of recruitment advertising restrictions on March 1st, science students experienced a sharp slowdown in their growth rate this time, as early selections and unofficial job offers through internships had advanced. The gap between humanities and science students, which had widened to 21.8 percentage points last month, has narrowed to 12.2 percentage points.
**(3) Job search activity rate higher than previous year at 67.2%; nearly 60% of science students continue activities**
The percentage of students "currently job searching" decreased by 11.8 percentage points from the previous month to 67.2%, falling below 70%. However, this is 3.9 percentage points higher than the same period last year. The percentage of students who "obtained an unofficial job offer and ended job hunting" increased by 13.0 percentage points from the previous month to 27.0%. By academic field, the activity rates for both decreased by more than 10 percentage points from the previous month, with humanities at 72.3% and science at 57.0%. While humanities students are on par with the previous year, science students are 10.8 percentage points higher than the previous year, when it was below 50%, with nearly 60% of students continuing their job search. The percentage of students who "obtained an unofficial job offer and ended job hunting" was 27.0%, an increase of 13.0 percentage points from the previous month, which was about 5 percentage points lower than the same period last year.
■ Survey Overview
・Survey period: March 25, 2026 – March 31, 2026
・Survey organization: Gakujo Co., Ltd.
・Target: University and graduate school students scheduled to graduate (complete) in March 2027
・Valid responses: 281
・Survey method: Internet questionnaire
*Due to rounding off to one decimal place, the total of multiple-choice answers may not always be 100.0%.
■ About Gakujo Co., Ltd.
A company listed on the Prime Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and a member of Keidanren. Since 2004, it has advocated for "year-round recruitment for people in their 20s." It is a major job and転職 information company that comprehensively supports recruitment for people in their 20s and 30s, centered on "Re-Shukatsu," a job change site for people in their 20s (No. 1 for 7 consecutive years chosen by people in their 20s, according to Tokyo Shoko Research surveys from 2019-2025), "Re-Shukatsu 30," a direct recruiting service for people in their 30s, and "Re-Shukatsu Campus," a scout-type job hunting site with 600,000 members.
It also held the first "Joint Company Seminar" in Japan (according to its own research) and operates "Tenshoku Haku" (Job Change Fair) and "Shushoku Haku" (Job Hunting Fair). In 2019, it launched "Japan Jobs," a job search and recruitment support service for foreign talent, offering a variety of services related to recruiting young talent.
[Founded / 1976 Capital / 1.5 billion yen Member organizations / Japan Business Federation, National Association of Job Information Organizations, Japan Association of Human Resources Agencies, Japan Job Information Publishing Council, Forest Culture Association]
https://company.gakujo.ne.jp
The unofficial job offer rate as of the end of March was 66.0%. While it increased by 10.3 percentage points from the previous month, approaching 70%, it was 3.7 percentage points lower than the 69.7% recorded in the same period last year. Compared to the 53.7% of the same period for 2025 graduates, it is significantly higher, maintaining a high rate. However, this is the first time in this season's survey that the rate fell below the same period last year. The main factor is the sluggish growth among science students, which only increased by 3.9 percentage points from the previous month to 74.2%, falling 8.6 percentage points below the same period last year. It appears that early selections and unofficial job offers, primarily for science students through internships, had advanced, leading to a calmer movement this time. In contrast, humanities students, whose growth had been slow last month, saw a rapid increase of 13.5 percentage points from the previous month, reaching 62.0%—almost on par with the previous year—following the lifting of recruitment advertising restrictions on March 1st. The gap between humanities and science students, which was over 20 percentage points, has narrowed. The job search activity rate decreased by 11.8 percentage points from the previous month to 67.2%, which is about 4 percentage points higher than the same period last year, indicating that nearly 70% of students are still active.
**【TOPICS】**
**(1) First time this season's survey falls below previous year's level; possibility of a turning point for the "super seller's market"**
**(2) Humanities students surge after PR lifting, science students hit the brakes; gap between academic fields narrows**
**(3) Job search activity rate higher than previous year at 67.2%; nearly 60% of science students continue activities**
▽ For more details, please see the URL below.
https://service.gakujo.ne.jp/jinji-library/report/27naiteiritsu0402/
**(1) First time this season's survey falls below previous year's level; possibility of a turning point for the "super seller's market"**
The unofficial job offer rate for 2027 graduates in April (as of the end of March) was 66.0%, an increase of 10.3 percentage points from the previous month. After the lifting of recruitment advertising restrictions on March 1st, it reached a high rate close to 70%. However, this is the first time in this season's survey, which had been setting new monthly records for the highest values under the current job hunting schedule, that the rate fell below the same period last year (69.7%).
The last time the unofficial job offer rate fell below the same period last year was at the end of May 2025, but at that time, the year-on-year decrease was only for humanities students, and the job search activity rate was lower than the previous year for both academic fields, making it a temporary and limited phenomenon. This time, the unofficial job offer rate is lower than the previous year for both academic fields, while the job search activity rate is higher. With an uncertain economic outlook, there is a possibility that the new graduate recruitment market, often called a "super seller's market," is at a turning point.
**(2) Humanities students surge after PR lifting, science students hit the brakes; gap between academic fields narrows**
By academic field, humanities students saw a 13.5 percentage point increase from the previous month to 62.0%, a slight decrease from the same period last year. Science students saw a 3.9 percentage point increase from the previous month to 74.2%, which is 8.6 percentage points lower than the same period last year. While humanities students, whose growth had been slow last month, saw a rapid increase following the lifting of recruitment advertising restrictions on March 1st, science students experienced a sharp slowdown in their growth rate this time, as early selections and unofficial job offers through internships had advanced. The gap between humanities and science students, which had widened to 21.8 percentage points last month, has narrowed to 12.2 percentage points.
**(3) Job search activity rate higher than previous year at 67.2%; nearly 60% of science students continue activities**
The percentage of students "currently job searching" decreased by 11.8 percentage points from the previous month to 67.2%, falling below 70%. However, this is 3.9 percentage points higher than the same period last year. The percentage of students who "obtained an unofficial job offer and ended job hunting" increased by 13.0 percentage points from the previous month to 27.0%. By academic field, the activity rates for both decreased by more than 10 percentage points from the previous month, with humanities at 72.3% and science at 57.0%. While humanities students are on par with the previous year, science students are 10.8 percentage points higher than the previous year, when it was below 50%, with nearly 60% of students continuing their job search. The percentage of students who "obtained an unofficial job offer and ended job hunting" was 27.0%, an increase of 13.0 percentage points from the previous month, which was about 5 percentage points lower than the same period last year.
■ Survey Overview
・Survey period: March 25, 2026 – March 31, 2026
・Survey organization: Gakujo Co., Ltd.
・Target: University and graduate school students scheduled to graduate (complete) in March 2027
・Valid responses: 281
・Survey method: Internet questionnaire
*Due to rounding off to one decimal place, the total of multiple-choice answers may not always be 100.0%.
■ About Gakujo Co., Ltd.
A company listed on the Prime Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and a member of Keidanren. Since 2004, it has advocated for "year-round recruitment for people in their 20s." It is a major job and転職 information company that comprehensively supports recruitment for people in their 20s and 30s, centered on "Re-Shukatsu," a job change site for people in their 20s (No. 1 for 7 consecutive years chosen by people in their 20s, according to Tokyo Shoko Research surveys from 2019-2025), "Re-Shukatsu 30," a direct recruiting service for people in their 30s, and "Re-Shukatsu Campus," a scout-type job hunting site with 600,000 members.
It also held the first "Joint Company Seminar" in Japan (according to its own research) and operates "Tenshoku Haku" (Job Change Fair) and "Shushoku Haku" (Job Hunting Fair). In 2019, it launched "Japan Jobs," a job search and recruitment support service for foreign talent, offering a variety of services related to recruiting young talent.
[Founded / 1976 Capital / 1.5 billion yen Member organizations / Japan Business Federation, National Association of Job Information Organizations, Japan Association of Human Resources Agencies, Japan Job Information Publishing Council, Forest Culture Association]
https://company.gakujo.ne.jp
FAQ
What is the unofficial job offer rate for 2027 graduates?
As of the end of March 2027, the unofficial job offer rate is 66.0%. This is an increase of 10.3 percentage points from the previous month, but 3.7 percentage points lower than the 69.7% of the same period last year.
Is there a difference in job offer rates between humanities and science students?
Yes, there is. The rate for science students is 74.2%, which is lower than the same period last year. For humanities students, it is 62.0%, an increase of 13.5 percentage points from the previous month, reaching almost the same level as last year. The gap between the two fields has narrowed.
What is the current job search activity rate?
The job search activity rate as of the end of March is 67.2%. This is a decrease of 11.8 percentage points from the previous month, but 3.9 percentage points higher than the same period last year, with nearly 70% of students still actively searching.