Some 22% of major companies in Japan are planning to cut new hires for the business year starting next April compared to the current year, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday.

The findings indicate that many firms remain cautious about the outlook amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the survey, which covered 110 companies, many of those planning to curb new hires were in sectors hit hard by the pandemic such as transport and tourism, which have seen demand evaporate.