Job Offer Rate Hits 66.0% at End of March, Falling Below Last Year. Science Slows to 74.2%, Arts at 62.0% [2027 Grads Survey]

Gakujo Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo) conducted an internet survey on the latest 'unofficial job offer acquisition status' targeting university and graduate students graduating in March 2027.

The unofficial job offer rate as of the end of March was 66.0%. Although it approached 70% with a +10.3 point increase from the previous month, it was 3.7 points lower than the 69.7% recorded during the same period last year. It still significantly exceeds the 53.7% of the 2025 graduating class two years ago, maintaining a high rate overall. However, this is the first time in this season's surveys that the rate has fallen below the previous year's same-period mark. The main reason for this is the sluggish growth among science students, which stood at 74.2% (a mere +3.9 points from the previous month), falling 8.6 points below the same period last year. It appears the trend has settled down after early screenings and offers resulting from internships were front-loaded, particularly for science students. In contrast, arts students, whose growth had slowed the previous month, surged this time by +13.5 points to 62.0%—nearly on par with the previous year—triggered by the lifting of the recruitment PR ban on March 1. This significantly narrowed the gap between arts and science students, which had been over 20 points. The job hunting activity rate was 67.2% (-11.8 points from the previous month), about 4 points higher than the same period last year, indicating that nearly 70% of students are still actively job hunting.

TOPICS (1) First year-over-year drop in this season's survey: The 'super seller's market' may be at a turning point. (2) Arts surge upon PR ban lift, science brakes sharply; the gap narrows. (3) Job hunting activity rate higher than last year at 67.2%; nearly 60% of science students continue searching.

(1) First year-over-year drop in this season's survey: The 'super seller's market' may be at a turning point. The unofficial job offer rate for 2027 graduates in April (as of the end of March) was 66.0%, up +10.3 points from the previous month. Passing the March 1 recruitment PR ban lift, it reached a high rate close to 70%. However, in this season's surveys, which had been breaking all-time highs every month under the current job-hunting schedule, this is the first time it has fallen below the same period last year (69.7%).

The last time the job offer rate fell below the previous year's same period was at the end of May 2025; however, at that time, the year-over-year minus applied only to arts students, and the job hunting activity rate was lower than the previous year for both arts and science, making it a temporary, localized phenomenon. This time, the job offer rate is negative year-over-year for both arts and science, while the job hunting activity rate is positive. Coupled with uncertain economic conditions, it raises the possibility that the new graduate recruitment market, previously dubbed a 'super seller's market,' has reached a turning point.