Roughly one in five major corporations plan to reduce the number of their new hires next spring compared with this year, according to a Kyodo News survey.
Exporters and raw material producers are cautious about hiring many new recruits in the face of competition with companies from emerging economies, Kyodo said.
The survey of 107 major companies found that 21 percent plan to increase the number of new recruits in the hope of strong demand in connection with reconstruction from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, while 32 percent said the number will stay about the same.
Of the total, 21 percent plan to cut back on new hires next spring.
When it comes to the 2011 disasters, 92 percent of all the firms said the calamities did not affect new hiring for this spring, when most companies start their new business year, and 88 percent said the disasters have not affected their hiring plans for next spring.
By sector, several companies in the chemicals and pharmaceuticals, automotive and automotive parts, metal, construction machinery and shipbuilding industries say they will employ fewer workers.
Among such firms are Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co., the Asahi Kasei Corp. group, Nippon Steel Corp. and JFE Holdings Inc.
But many firms in the retail, telecommunications, information, services and food sectors said they will hire more new recruits next year.
The Internet giant Softbank Corp. group and retailer Aeon Co. among others said they will increase the number of new hires.