Many university students in Japan have been forced to continue job-hunting into the summer, as the coronavirus pandemic has stalled companies' hiring processes, a recent private survey has shown.

The online survey of about 750 undergraduates conducted by Recruit Career Co. earlier this month showed 73.2 percent of job seekers graduating next spring had secured jobs as of July 1, sharply lower than the 85.1 percent who had done so at the same point in 2019.

A total of 44.9 percent of respondents said they are continuing their job search, including those who have been offered positions already, the survey showed.