Japan Inc scrambles for mid-career job-hoppers to cope with staff shortages

Tokyo

JAPAN'S labour shortage has pushed job-hopping to its highest level since the global financial crisis, as companies scramble for workers with experience in the rapidly ageing economy.

Job-hopping goes against the grain of Japan's work culture, where many companies hire graduates and employ them until they retire. But the country's jobs-for-life system is slowly giving way as firms curb labour costs and society shifts.