THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN
 
As of Oct. 1, 68.4 percent of university students set to graduate next spring had found jobs, up 4.1 percentage points from a year earlier and improving for the fourth consecutive year, according to the education and labor ministries.
 
The figure was the second highest ever for the month of October, after the 69.9 percent for students who graduated in March 2009. The improvement reflects a situation in which more companies have stepped up new recruitment amid earnings recoveries and labor shortages, ministry officials said.
 
The proportion of male students who had secured jobs stood at 67.6 percent, up 3.1 points, while the rate for female students showed a significant increase of 5.4 points to 69.4 percent.
 
The rate rose to 67.3 percent for students with arts majors and to 73.5 percent for those with science and engineering majors.
 
The proportion improved in all six regions of the nation, according to the survey. The Kanto region, including Tokyo, had the highest rate with 74.5 percent. Chugoku and Shikoku posted the lowest at 56.9 percent.