Businesses plan to hire around 30-thousand fewer people through the first quarter of next year compared with the same period last year.
 
According to a survey released by the labor ministry on Monday, businesses with more than one employee plan to add 527-thousand employees between the fourth quarter of this year and the first quarter of next year. 

That’s down 33-thousand workers, or nearly six percent, year-on-year. 

Most industries plan to hire fewer people than last year, the only exceptions being the business facilities management, rental service and educational service industries. 

As of October 1, businesses needed 522-thousand more employees to operate normally. 

That’s down some four percent from the same period last year.