About half of Japan's 150 leading companies plan to hire more new graduates in spring 2002 than they did this spring, according to a Kyodo News poll.
The survey found that 49 percent, or 73 firms, plan to add more graduates from universities and other schools, which would mark the second consecutive year of expanded hiring at major companies.
The increase reflects strong demand for information technology-related engineers as well as positive reactions to sharp downsizing in recent years, the survey showed.