Survey on 2027 Grads' Job Hunting: 87.5% of Companies Plan to Maintain or Increase Hiring; Internships Become Main Pathway
i-plug, Inc., operator of 'OfferBox', conducted a survey on job hunting and recruitment activities targeting 2027 graduates and companies. 87.5% of companies plan to maintain or increase hiring numbers from the previous year. Among students, 15.2% have already concluded job hunting by accepting offers as of May, with many active students at the final selection stages. The data confirms the acceleration of the recruitment cycle, as nearly half of internship participants proceed to official selection.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 20, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 20, 2026 at 10:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 22, 2026 at 23:08 (60h 36m after Collected)
i-plug, Inc. (Headquarters: Kita-ku, Osaka; Representative Director and CEO: Tomoya Nakano), which operates the new graduate offer-type job hunting service 'OfferBox' that connects students and companies, conducted a survey on the job hunting and recruitment activity status targeting students graduating in 2027 (hereinafter '27-grads') and companies.
[Survey Topics]
- Ahead of the government-designated 'selection start date', 15.2% of 27-grads have already accepted offers and finished their job hunting.
- Among active 27-grads, 31.1% have progressed to the 'offer notification' or 'offer acceptance' phase.
- The most common reason for continuing job hunting while holding an offer is 'taking time to compare and consider'.
- 49.4% of internship participating students proceed to the selection process of the participating companies. The top reason is 'invitation to special selection' (46.0%).
- 51.9% of companies start giving out offers 'within 2025'. Contacts during the summer internship period (July-September) lead to early offers.
- Regarding the planned hiring number for 27-grads, 66.5% of companies answered 'no change from 26-grads', and 21.0% answered 'plan to increase'.
Internship participation directly links to motivation and entry. Conversely, it also functions as a place to confirm 'mismatches'.
Q1 Please tell us your current job hunting status. (Students/Single Answer)
As of May 2026, 82.2% of 27-grads are 'active' in job hunting, while 15.2% have already 'finished activities by accepting an offer'. The number of 27-grads who answered 'finished activities by accepting an offer' increased about 6 times from 2.5% in February of the same year.
Q2 (Only those who answered 'active' in Q1) Please tell us the selection status at the company where your selection has progressed the most. (Students/Single Answer)
Among active 27-grads, the most advanced status was 'selection process' (31.5%), followed by 'offer notification' (21.1%). Combining these, more than half of 27-grads are reaching the final stages of selection. For many students, it is inferred that June is not the 'period to start selection defined by the government', but has transformed into a 'period for final decision' weighing existing offers against ongoing selections.
Q3 (Only those who answered offer notification/acceptance in Q2) Please tell us the number of offers you have held so far (including companies whose offers you declined). (Students/Single Answer)
Among the 27-grads who have progressed to the offer phase in Q2, 51.5% held two or more 'offers'. A certain number of students have multiple options from an early stage, suggesting that it is important for companies not only to give offers but also to provide 'motivation' towards acceptance.
Q4 (Only those who answered 1 or more companies in Q3) Please select the closest reason for continuing job hunting even though you have received an offer. (Students/Single Answer)
The biggest reason for continuing job hunting after receiving an offer was 'because I want to take time to compare and consider' (37.5%). It can be inferred that they are trying to carefully identify the optimal company for themselves while alleviating anxiety by securing an early offer.
Q5 Did you participate in the selection or entry of the companies where you participated in internships? (Students/Single Answer)
49.4% of 27-grads proceeded to the selection of companies where they participated in internships. This shows that internships function as a strong contact point leading to official selection.
Q6 (Only those who answered 'Yes' in Q5) Please tell us the reason for proceeding to the selection. (Students/Single Answer)
When asked the reason for proceeding to the selection to the 27-grads who answered 'Yes' in Q5, the most common answer was 'because there was an invitation to participate in special selection' (46.0%). It is inferred that 27-grads view internships not only as a place for company understanding but also as an 'efficient means' to advance their job hunting advantageously.
The second most common answer was 'because my motivation increased after participating in the internship' (29.7%). It shows that internships are an effective means for companies to attract students.
Q7 (Only those who answered 'No' in Q5) Please tell us the reason for not proceeding to the selection. (Students/Single Answer)
The most common reason for not proceeding to the selection was 'because my job hunting axis or desired industry changed' (34.1%). Tied for first was 'because my motivation decreased after participating in the internship' (34.1%). While internships serve as a place for companies to attract candidates, they also provide an opportunity for students to reconfirm their aptitude and orientation. As a result, it can be inferred that it functions as a place to prevent post-employment mismatches for both parties.
[Survey Topics]
- Ahead of the government-designated 'selection start date', 15.2% of 27-grads have already accepted offers and finished their job hunting.
- Among active 27-grads, 31.1% have progressed to the 'offer notification' or 'offer acceptance' phase.
- The most common reason for continuing job hunting while holding an offer is 'taking time to compare and consider'.
- 49.4% of internship participating students proceed to the selection process of the participating companies. The top reason is 'invitation to special selection' (46.0%).
- 51.9% of companies start giving out offers 'within 2025'. Contacts during the summer internship period (July-September) lead to early offers.
- Regarding the planned hiring number for 27-grads, 66.5% of companies answered 'no change from 26-grads', and 21.0% answered 'plan to increase'.
Internship participation directly links to motivation and entry. Conversely, it also functions as a place to confirm 'mismatches'.
Q1 Please tell us your current job hunting status. (Students/Single Answer)
As of May 2026, 82.2% of 27-grads are 'active' in job hunting, while 15.2% have already 'finished activities by accepting an offer'. The number of 27-grads who answered 'finished activities by accepting an offer' increased about 6 times from 2.5% in February of the same year.
Q2 (Only those who answered 'active' in Q1) Please tell us the selection status at the company where your selection has progressed the most. (Students/Single Answer)
Among active 27-grads, the most advanced status was 'selection process' (31.5%), followed by 'offer notification' (21.1%). Combining these, more than half of 27-grads are reaching the final stages of selection. For many students, it is inferred that June is not the 'period to start selection defined by the government', but has transformed into a 'period for final decision' weighing existing offers against ongoing selections.
Q3 (Only those who answered offer notification/acceptance in Q2) Please tell us the number of offers you have held so far (including companies whose offers you declined). (Students/Single Answer)
Among the 27-grads who have progressed to the offer phase in Q2, 51.5% held two or more 'offers'. A certain number of students have multiple options from an early stage, suggesting that it is important for companies not only to give offers but also to provide 'motivation' towards acceptance.
Q4 (Only those who answered 1 or more companies in Q3) Please select the closest reason for continuing job hunting even though you have received an offer. (Students/Single Answer)
The biggest reason for continuing job hunting after receiving an offer was 'because I want to take time to compare and consider' (37.5%). It can be inferred that they are trying to carefully identify the optimal company for themselves while alleviating anxiety by securing an early offer.
Q5 Did you participate in the selection or entry of the companies where you participated in internships? (Students/Single Answer)
49.4% of 27-grads proceeded to the selection of companies where they participated in internships. This shows that internships function as a strong contact point leading to official selection.
Q6 (Only those who answered 'Yes' in Q5) Please tell us the reason for proceeding to the selection. (Students/Single Answer)
When asked the reason for proceeding to the selection to the 27-grads who answered 'Yes' in Q5, the most common answer was 'because there was an invitation to participate in special selection' (46.0%). It is inferred that 27-grads view internships not only as a place for company understanding but also as an 'efficient means' to advance their job hunting advantageously.
The second most common answer was 'because my motivation increased after participating in the internship' (29.7%). It shows that internships are an effective means for companies to attract students.
Q7 (Only those who answered 'No' in Q5) Please tell us the reason for not proceeding to the selection. (Students/Single Answer)
The most common reason for not proceeding to the selection was 'because my job hunting axis or desired industry changed' (34.1%). Tied for first was 'because my motivation decreased after participating in the internship' (34.1%). While internships serve as a place for companies to attract candidates, they also provide an opportunity for students to reconfirm their aptitude and orientation. As a result, it can be inferred that it functions as a place to prevent post-employment mismatches for both parties.
FAQ
How are companies responding regarding the number of students they plan to hire from the 2027 graduating class?
66.5% of companies responded that it will be 'unchanged from the 2026 graduates', 21.0% said they 'plan to increase', totaling 87.5% who plan to 'maintain' or 'increase' the number of hires compared to the previous year.
What percentage of 2027 graduates have completed their job hunting by May 2026?
15.2% of 2027 graduates have already accepted job offers and completed their job hunting, a sixfold increase from 2.5% in February of the same year.
What is the main reason for continuing job hunting while holding a job offer?
The most common reason is 'to take time to compare and consider' (37.5%).
What percentage of students who participate in internships proceed to the company's selection process?
49.4% of students who participate in internships proceed to the company's selection process.
What is the main reason for proceeding to the selection process after participating in an internship?
The most common reason is 'because they received an invitation to participate in a special selection process' (46.0%).