Beautician Employment Rate Slowly Rises to 43.6%, But Dormant Beauticians Exceed Half at 56.4%. 42.5% Quit Within 3 Years of Hiring. Balancing Recruitment and Retention is Key

'Hot Pepper Beauty Academy' (https://hba.beauty.hotpepper.jp/), the research institute of 'Hot Pepper Beauty' operated by Recruit Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Keiichi Ushida), conducted the 'Beauty Salon Employment Status Survey (2026)' targeting individuals aged 15 and over nationwide (Screening survey: 19,522 people; Main survey: 3,170 beauty salon workers*). As a result, the employment rate of beauticians (the percentage of those holding a beautician license who are currently working as a beautician) is 43.6%, showing a gradual upward trend in recent years. On the other hand, the dormant beautician rate (the percentage of those who hold a license but are not currently working as a beautician) remains over half at 56.4%, indicating continued structural challenges regarding labor shortages. Furthermore, the rate of those with no experience working as a beautician (those holding a license but have never worked as a beautician) has increased to 22.0%. Looking at the employment period at their first job, 9.6% quit in less than 6 months, and 42.5% quit in less than 3 years, revealing that over 40% leave early. These results demonstrate that the beauty industry faces human resource challenges in both recruitment and retention. *Beautician, barber, nail technician, esthetician, relaxation therapist, eye stylist/eye designer. ■ Key Points of the Survey 1. Beautician employment rate slowly rises to 43.6%, but dormant rate is over half at 56.4%. 2. The top condition for returning to work is 'flexibility in working hours' at 60.1%. 3. The rate of license holders with 'no working experience' increased to 22.0%. 4. Regarding the employment period at the first job, 9.6% leave in 'less than 6 months', and 42.5% leave in 'less than 3 years'. In this survey, a gradual upward trend was observed in the employment rate of beauticians. It is believed that the results of ongoing reviews of working styles and efforts to improve the environment are beginning to show. On the other hand, dormant beauticians account for more than half, meaning the potential talent market remains large. There is also a certain number of people who hold a license but do not find employment, or who do find employment but leave their first job early. The challenges span both recruitment and retention. Moving forward, it will be crucial to carry out initiatives aimed at retention after hiring, in conjunction with approaching the latent workforce. Kimiko Tanaka, Researcher, Hot Pepper Beauty Academy The beautician employment rate increased from 41.7% (2024) to 42.6% (2025) to 43.6% (2026). While the dormant beautician rate is decreasing (58.3% -> 57.4% -> 56.4%), more than half are still not working as beauticians. The intention of beauticians to return to work is 29.9%, which is lower compared to other beauty professions. However, the highest condition for returning is 'can flexibly choose working hours' at 60.1%, followed by 'flexible employment type (full-time/part-time/outsourcing)' at 42.8%.