More than 30 percent of 150 major companies are planning to cut new recruitment next spring, mainly due to the slump in the information technology industry, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday.

Forty-nine companies, or 32.7 percent of the total, said they will reduce the number of employees they hire in spring 2003 from this spring, while only 26 companies, or 17.3 percent, said they will boost hiring.

The cuts in recruitment were mainly forecast by firms in the IT industry, such as electronics firms.