Slow economy is not deterring employers in Japan

A dismal economy is not stopping Japan’s employers from adding to their headcount as the labour market continues to demonstrate its resiliency.

According to the Michael Page 2013 Salary & Employment Forecast for Japan, 39% expect to increase the number of their staff in over the coming year.

The bulk of this anticipated hiring activity is mostly to come from business expansion, reported 78% of survey respondents.

“Despite well publicised global economic issues which are certainly having an impact in some regions, Japan remains a large, relatively stable economy that offers significant growth opportunities for many multinational organisations.This in turn is leading to the availability of some good career opportunities for talented individuals and resulting in strong recruitment activity,” said Richard King, Managing Director of Michael Page in Japan.

Bilingual candidates with good English and Japanese language skills continue to be the most sought-after talent across all industries, with 60% of employees indicating a higher level of demand for such individuals. Not surprisingly, nearly half of survey respondents (49%) acknowledged that this talent will command higher salaries than non-bilingual candidates

“Organisations need to have a robust recruitment process and work in partnership with their recruitment agency to effectively sell the Employee Value Proposition and put themselves in the best position to attract top talent,” added King.