Survey on 'How New Graduates in 2026 Plan to Use Their First Salary'
JAIC Co., Ltd. conducted a survey among 247 new employees regarding their plans for their first salary. The top use for their first salary, excluding living expenses, was 'Gifts for parents and family' (74.9%). Over 60% of new employees stated that the amount of their first salary was a deciding factor in their job choice, while 15% expressed concerns about future salary increases despite the current trend of rising first salaries.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 15, 2026 at 18:40
- 🔍 Collected: April 15, 2026 at 10:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 16, 2026 at 00:24 (14h 22m after Collected)
JAIC Co., Ltd., which develops education and training services and recruitment support services for corporations, announces the results of a survey conducted among participants of its new employee training program (247 respondents, surveyed from April 3 to April 10, 2026).
■ 'How New Graduates Plan to Use Their First Salary' Other Than Living Expenses: 1st Place 'Gifts for Parents and Family' (74.9%)
When asked, 'How do you want to use your first salary, excluding living expenses? Please select all that apply at this time,' 'Gifts for parents and family' was 74.9%, 'Hobbies' was 47.8%, 'Savings' was 40.5%, 'Gifts for oneself' was 37.7%, 'Food and entertainment expenses' was 23.1%, 'Investments (NISA, stocks, investment trusts, etc.)' was 19.4%, 'Repayment of scholarships, etc.' was 12.1%, 'Self-investment for skill improvement, etc.' was 8.9%, and 'Other' was 1.2%.
Compared to last year's 'Survey on 'How New Graduates in 2025 Plan to Use Their First Salary',' 'Gifts for parents and family' remained at a high level, strongly indicating a tendency to express gratitude to close family members as the first step into working life.
Survey on 'How New Graduates in 2026 Plan to Use Their First Salary' / JAIC
■ Impact of First Salary Amount on Decision to Join a Company: Over 60% Said It Was a 'Deciding Factor'
When asked, 'To what extent did the amount of your first salary (the presented salary level) influence your decision to join the company?', 13.8% answered 'It was a major deciding factor,' 52.6% answered 'It was one of the deciding factors,' 29.1% answered 'It didn't have much influence,' and 4.5% answered 'It had no influence at all.'
Combining 'It was a major deciding factor' and 'It was one of the deciding factors,' it was found that over 60% (66.4%) of this year's new employees considered the 'amount of their first salary' as an important factor in choosing a company to join.
Survey on 'How New Graduates in 2026 Plan to Use Their First Salary' / JAIC
■ New Employees' Feelings About the Recent Trend of Rising First Salaries:
Over 60% Responded 'Motivation Increases,' while
Approximately 15% Also Have Concerns About 'Future Salary Increases'
When asked, 'Regarding the recent trend of rising first salaries, which of the following best describes your feelings as a new employee? Please select one that applies most,' 65.6% answered 'Motivation increases (genuinely happy, feel motivated),' 14.6% answered 'Concerned about future salary increases (worried it's only the first salary, concerned about sustainability),' 8.1% answered 'Appropriate level (reasonable considering rising prices),' 6.5% answered 'Feel pressure (anxious to produce results quickly),' and 5.3% answered 'No particular change in feelings or impact.'
Although many new employees view this positively, it was observed that approximately one in seven also have a calm perspective on long-term treatment and careers, wondering if the 'high first salary' might lead to a slowdown in future salary increases.
Survey on 'How New Graduates in 2026 Plan to Use Their First Salary' / JAIC
Regarding the results of this survey, Mr. Kondo, a director of our company, states the following:
“In this survey, over 70% of new employees in 2026 responded that they would use their first salary for 'gifts for parents and family.' This survey has been conducted for four consecutive years, and there has been no significant change in the top-ranking items each year, indicating a continuous desire to show gratitude to the family who supported them at the time of becoming financially independent as a working adult.
Furthermore, over 60% of respondents said that the amount of their first salary was a 'deciding factor' in their decision to join a company. Against the backdrop of recruitment difficulties, many companies are raising first salaries, and it can be seen that a high salary level still has a certain effect in attracting young talent. On the other hand, approximately 15% of new employees responded that they are 'concerned about future salary increases,' indicating a desire to evaluate companies not only based on the initial salary level but also on subsequent treatment and career prospects. As first salaries continue to rise, it will become even more important for companies to demonstrate how they can provide satisfaction beyond the attractiveness of the amount itself.
Simply raising compensation is not enough; clearly presenting evaluation criteria and career paths that show how contributions after joining the company will be reflected in rewards will lead to true peace of mind and increased engagement for new employees. At the same time, it is also important for companies to support employees in feeling that 'their own growth will lead to future rewards' through daily interactions, not just the salary itself. Management that visualizes the 'sense of growth' gained through daily work and provides careful feedback will be more in demand than ever before.”
Hirofumi Kondo, Director, Human Growth Division General Manager, JAIC Co., Ltd.
After graduating from Dokkyo University, Faculty of Economics, he joined the company after working for an information systems company. He has held positions as head of IT strategy, company-wide management strategy, education business, and recruitment/employment support business before assuming his current role. From his position of understanding corporate recruitment and training challenges, he supervises the company's corporate education and training programs and gives lectures on employee development methods for young to managerial staff and career formation at general companies, financial institutions, and management clubs. He is a certified trainer for the Dale Carnegie Course. Recently, he has been featured in numerous HR media outlets, including President magazine (2023) and TBS 'THE TIME,' (2025), on the themes of leadership and communication skills for managers.
【Survey Overview】
Survey Name: New Employee Training Questionnaire
Respondents: Participants of our company's new employee training program
Survey Organization: In-house survey
Survey Method: Web questionnaire
Survey Period: April 3 to April 10, 2026
Number of Respondents: 247
■ Overview of Education Support Services (Human Growth Division)
This business has been running for over 20 years at our company and specializes in training that promotes behavioral change by emphasizing the 'mindset' of participants. Key training programs include the 'Dale Carnegie Training' famous for 'How to Win Friends and Influence People,' the '7 Habits®' training based on the world's best-selling book, the 'Harada Method®' training renowned as a goal achievement method, and various customized training programs tailored to client needs.
Website URL: https://www.jaic-g.com/service/education/
■ Company Profile
Company Name: JAIC Co., Ltd. (https://www.jaic-g.com/)
Head Office Location: Jimbocho 101 Bldg. 7F (Reception 6F), 1-101 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Representative Director: Takeshi Sato
Established: March 1991
Capital: 263.03 million yen (as of end of January 2026)
Business Activities: Education and training services, recruitment support services, employment support services
Employment support service for new graduates 'JAIC Employment College®' https://www.jaic-college.jp/
Recruitment x Education Channel 'HR Doctor' https://www.hr-doctor.com/
【Contact Information】
JAIC Co., Ltd. Contact: Umeda
E-mail: info@jaic-g.com TEL 03-5282-7600 FAX 03
■ 'How New Graduates Plan to Use Their First Salary' Other Than Living Expenses: 1st Place 'Gifts for Parents and Family' (74.9%)
When asked, 'How do you want to use your first salary, excluding living expenses? Please select all that apply at this time,' 'Gifts for parents and family' was 74.9%, 'Hobbies' was 47.8%, 'Savings' was 40.5%, 'Gifts for oneself' was 37.7%, 'Food and entertainment expenses' was 23.1%, 'Investments (NISA, stocks, investment trusts, etc.)' was 19.4%, 'Repayment of scholarships, etc.' was 12.1%, 'Self-investment for skill improvement, etc.' was 8.9%, and 'Other' was 1.2%.
Compared to last year's 'Survey on 'How New Graduates in 2025 Plan to Use Their First Salary',' 'Gifts for parents and family' remained at a high level, strongly indicating a tendency to express gratitude to close family members as the first step into working life.
Survey on 'How New Graduates in 2026 Plan to Use Their First Salary' / JAIC
■ Impact of First Salary Amount on Decision to Join a Company: Over 60% Said It Was a 'Deciding Factor'
When asked, 'To what extent did the amount of your first salary (the presented salary level) influence your decision to join the company?', 13.8% answered 'It was a major deciding factor,' 52.6% answered 'It was one of the deciding factors,' 29.1% answered 'It didn't have much influence,' and 4.5% answered 'It had no influence at all.'
Combining 'It was a major deciding factor' and 'It was one of the deciding factors,' it was found that over 60% (66.4%) of this year's new employees considered the 'amount of their first salary' as an important factor in choosing a company to join.
Survey on 'How New Graduates in 2026 Plan to Use Their First Salary' / JAIC
■ New Employees' Feelings About the Recent Trend of Rising First Salaries:
Over 60% Responded 'Motivation Increases,' while
Approximately 15% Also Have Concerns About 'Future Salary Increases'
When asked, 'Regarding the recent trend of rising first salaries, which of the following best describes your feelings as a new employee? Please select one that applies most,' 65.6% answered 'Motivation increases (genuinely happy, feel motivated),' 14.6% answered 'Concerned about future salary increases (worried it's only the first salary, concerned about sustainability),' 8.1% answered 'Appropriate level (reasonable considering rising prices),' 6.5% answered 'Feel pressure (anxious to produce results quickly),' and 5.3% answered 'No particular change in feelings or impact.'
Although many new employees view this positively, it was observed that approximately one in seven also have a calm perspective on long-term treatment and careers, wondering if the 'high first salary' might lead to a slowdown in future salary increases.
Survey on 'How New Graduates in 2026 Plan to Use Their First Salary' / JAIC
Regarding the results of this survey, Mr. Kondo, a director of our company, states the following:
“In this survey, over 70% of new employees in 2026 responded that they would use their first salary for 'gifts for parents and family.' This survey has been conducted for four consecutive years, and there has been no significant change in the top-ranking items each year, indicating a continuous desire to show gratitude to the family who supported them at the time of becoming financially independent as a working adult.
Furthermore, over 60% of respondents said that the amount of their first salary was a 'deciding factor' in their decision to join a company. Against the backdrop of recruitment difficulties, many companies are raising first salaries, and it can be seen that a high salary level still has a certain effect in attracting young talent. On the other hand, approximately 15% of new employees responded that they are 'concerned about future salary increases,' indicating a desire to evaluate companies not only based on the initial salary level but also on subsequent treatment and career prospects. As first salaries continue to rise, it will become even more important for companies to demonstrate how they can provide satisfaction beyond the attractiveness of the amount itself.
Simply raising compensation is not enough; clearly presenting evaluation criteria and career paths that show how contributions after joining the company will be reflected in rewards will lead to true peace of mind and increased engagement for new employees. At the same time, it is also important for companies to support employees in feeling that 'their own growth will lead to future rewards' through daily interactions, not just the salary itself. Management that visualizes the 'sense of growth' gained through daily work and provides careful feedback will be more in demand than ever before.”
Hirofumi Kondo, Director, Human Growth Division General Manager, JAIC Co., Ltd.
After graduating from Dokkyo University, Faculty of Economics, he joined the company after working for an information systems company. He has held positions as head of IT strategy, company-wide management strategy, education business, and recruitment/employment support business before assuming his current role. From his position of understanding corporate recruitment and training challenges, he supervises the company's corporate education and training programs and gives lectures on employee development methods for young to managerial staff and career formation at general companies, financial institutions, and management clubs. He is a certified trainer for the Dale Carnegie Course. Recently, he has been featured in numerous HR media outlets, including President magazine (2023) and TBS 'THE TIME,' (2025), on the themes of leadership and communication skills for managers.
【Survey Overview】
Survey Name: New Employee Training Questionnaire
Respondents: Participants of our company's new employee training program
Survey Organization: In-house survey
Survey Method: Web questionnaire
Survey Period: April 3 to April 10, 2026
Number of Respondents: 247
■ Overview of Education Support Services (Human Growth Division)
This business has been running for over 20 years at our company and specializes in training that promotes behavioral change by emphasizing the 'mindset' of participants. Key training programs include the 'Dale Carnegie Training' famous for 'How to Win Friends and Influence People,' the '7 Habits®' training based on the world's best-selling book, the 'Harada Method®' training renowned as a goal achievement method, and various customized training programs tailored to client needs.
Website URL: https://www.jaic-g.com/service/education/
■ Company Profile
Company Name: JAIC Co., Ltd. (https://www.jaic-g.com/)
Head Office Location: Jimbocho 101 Bldg. 7F (Reception 6F), 1-101 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Representative Director: Takeshi Sato
Established: March 1991
Capital: 263.03 million yen (as of end of January 2026)
Business Activities: Education and training services, recruitment support services, employment support services
Employment support service for new graduates 'JAIC Employment College®' https://www.jaic-college.jp/
Recruitment x Education Channel 'HR Doctor' https://www.hr-doctor.com/
【Contact Information】
JAIC Co., Ltd. Contact: Umeda
E-mail: info@jaic-g.com TEL 03-5282-7600 FAX 03