College students job hunt during New Year holidays

Japanese college students yet to secure jobs are looking for work even during the New Year holidays.

On Tuesday, about 1,000 students attended a job briefing event held at this time every year in Maebashi in Gunma Prefecture, north of Tokyo.

53 companies based in the prefecture took part in the event, which targets mostly third-year college students back home for the holidays. But participants included many seniors, who still have nowhere to work after they graduate in March.

A senior who has applied to almost 20 companies without success said he must widen his search because third-year students have begun full-scale job hunting.

He said he is aiming to begin working in April next year by staying in university another year, because there are no job openings left for this year.

A third-year student said she's worried by the fact that many seniors are still looking for a job. She says she cannot afford to spend the holidays doing nothing.