Healthcare Hiring slows down in Japan

JAPAN – Latest figures from Robert Walters, the international recruitment consultancy,  the consistent hiring within the healthcare industry is showing signs of slowing during the first quarter of 2012. Overall hiring volumes for medical professionals dropped 12% from last quarter (Q4 2011: 220,907 to Q1 2012: 193,717).

While healthcare recruitment volumes remain higher than most other industries in Japan, recent hiring levels have been far below the peak witnessed in late 2010. That surge in hiring was the result of significant changes to regulations affecting the healthcare industry (2010 Q4: 352,738). Given the impending expiration dates for many pharmaceutical patents later this year, healthcare-related companies will hire more cautiously given the anticipated drop in revenue. The slowdown in growth may signal a larger trend of saturation in the hiring market for Japan’s medical sector.

Other key findings in Japan: – Total hiring levels rose in Q1 with the number of job advertisements increasing 14.8% quarter on quarter. – Demand from medical device firms, CROs (Contract Research Organisation), CRAs (Clinical Research Associate) and CSOs (Contract Sales Organisation) remain stable. – Recruitment activity in the retail sector improved significantly, driven in part by re-construction related spending, following the earthquake in 2011. – Uncertainty surrounding Japan’s energy mix and, in particular, the extent to which the country can develop a clean energy policy has prompted an increasing demand for engineers (up 36.2% on Q4 2011). – Demand for data infrastructure and smart phone engineers also fuelled recruitment activity in IT. – The number of financial services advertisements in Q1 2012 increased by more than 19 per cent on the previous quarter. This increase is consistent with Q1 traditionally being the busiest hiring period of the year for banks in Japan.

Category: General health news