From Nippon.com: https://www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2019042200554/keidanren-universities-propose-boost-to-year-round-hiring.html?cx_recs_click=true
Tokyo, April 22 (Jiji Press)--The Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, and Japanese universities put forward a joint proposal to expand the year-round hiring of new graduates, at a meeting on Monday.
Although the start date has yet to be decided, the move is expected to change job-hunting activities dramatically in Japan, which are currently focused on employment in spring.
The proposal will be reported to the Council on Investments for the Future, a government panel chaired by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Year-round recruitment allows companies to hire workers in line with their needs, without limiting employment to a set period. Many Japanese corporations traditionally hire new university graduates en masse, as opposed to employing them for specific jobs and positions.
The change would free companies to employ according to their own work schedules, while increasing flexibility for students, including those returning from studies abroad.
