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Over 97 percent of Japan's new univ. graduates employed amid labor shortage

May 26 (Kyodo) - Over 97 percent of new university graduates in Japan found jobs this spring, up 1.5 points from the previous year for the first rise in three years, reflecting a labor shortage as the economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic, the government said Friday.

A total of 97.3 percent of graduates who sought jobs were employed as of April 1, the third highest figure on record since 1997, when the government started collecting data, according to the labor and education ministries.

"On the back of workforce shortages, companies' job offers are strong, with some appearing more willing to hire than before the coronavirus pandemic," said an official at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. ...continue reading

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Rain will affect many parts of Japan mainly through the morning on Tuesday, before clearer skies return in the afternoon. However, yellow sand blowing in from the Asian continent is expected to spread across a wide area after the rain, raising concerns over reduced visibility and worsening health conditions. Daytime temperatures will climb, with many areas in Kanto expected to reach 25C or higher.

Japan's weather agency and the Cabinet Office issued a 'Hokkaido-Sanriku Offshore Subsequent Earthquake Advisory' after an earthquake measuring upper 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale struck off Sanriku.

JR East has launched a preview version of its new online Shinkansen booking platform, JRE GO, promising reservations in as little as one minute and easier handling of sudden schedule changes.

A bear that had remained in a residential area in central Sendai since early Sunday morning was euthanized last night in an emergency cull. No injuries were reported.

Police investigating the death of an 11-year-old boy whose body was found in a forest in Kyoto Prefecture believe his father moved the remains between several locations over a number of days in an apparent attempt to conceal the crime.

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Japan's annual National Academic Achievement Test began on Monday for sixth-grade elementary school students and third-year junior high school students nationwide.

An entrance ceremony was held on April 18 at the Takarazuka Music School in Hyogo Prefecture, where 40 new students took their first step toward becoming members of the famed Takarazuka Revue.

Japan's medical sector is facing an acute shortage of nurses, triggering a wave of ward closures and even hospital shutdowns. Once regarded as an admired profession and often described as 'angels in white,' nurses are now under mounting strain from long working hours and wages many say do not match the demands of the job.

In a traffic safety class held at a certified childcare center in Akita, Ronald McDonald made a special appearance, teaching young children how to cross the street safely.

The number of Tokyo University students pursuing careers as government bureaucrats is declining, even as rising wages in skilled trades and shifts driven by artificial intelligence are reshaping perceptions of high-paying jobs.

Japan’s cram school industry is seeing a growing divide, with major operators expanding their market share while smaller firms struggle to survive amid declining birthrates and shifting education trends, according to expert analysis.

An estimated 800 junior high school third-year students and their parents gathered in Nagoya on April 12th to attend a seminar explaining the structure of high school entrance examinations and preparation strategies ahead of next year’s admissions cycle.

A former Imperial Japanese Navy fighter aircraft that had remained submerged off the coast of Akune City in Kagoshima Prefecture was raised from the seabed on April 9th, marking its first return to land in 81 years since a wartime crash landing during the final stages of World War II.