Panasonic Corp. topped a list of the 10 most popular firms among science and engineering students graduating next year, grabbing the ranking's top slot for the first time since comparable data became available in 1978, a job-placement information provider said Wednesday.
In the top-10 list among liberal arts students, travel agency JTB Corp. retained the top spot for the fourth consecutive year, according to Mainichi Communications Inc., which compiles the lists annually.
The top-10 lists were compiled based on a survey conducted between last Oct. 1 and Dec. 31 among university students set to graduate in March next year and first-year graduate students, among whom 22,408 provided valid answers.
Although Panasonic announced it would be expanding overseas hiring and cutting domestic recruitment of new graduates this spring, the move "appears to have been taken favorably as a sign that the company is proceeding with globalization efforts," a Mainichi Communications official said.