Source from AP, Yonhap News

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AsiaToday reporter Kim Ye-jin - The full-time employment rate among Japanese youth is increasing.

Nihon Keizai Shimbun, better known as Nikkei, reported Monday that the number of full-time employed youths aged 15-24 reached 2,640,000 during April-September, up 60,000 from the same period of last year, citing a government report. The employment rate during April-September was 71.8%, up 0.7% from the same period of last year.

Full-time employment in the medical, nursing, and caring industries rose 80,000 led by women. Employment in manufacturing and construction industries increased 50,000 and 40,000, respectively.

Toyota Motor changed 300 temporary positions to permanent positions in 2015. Japanese construction firm Dai Nippon Construction hired three times as much as last year.

Hisashi Yamade, chief economist at the Japan Research Institute, said, "Companies will continue to attract young people into full-time positions for a while." This is to deal with labor shortages due to low birthrate.

Taro Saito, senior economist at Nissei Research Institute, said, "The increased rate of full-time youth employment could boost consumer spending as well as marriage and birth rates in the future." He pointed out the increased rate of full-time youth employment will eventually help the Japanese economy.