Overview
- The education ministry reported 37,375 hires for 2025 placement, up 954 from a year earlier and the highest since 1986.
- Applicant numbers fell to a record-low 109,123, down 7,058 year over year, with 53 education boards reporting declines.
- Competition by school level fell to or near lows: elementary 2.0, junior high 3.6, high school 3.8, and special needs 2.0.
- The downturn marked an eighth straight yearly decline as the pool of experienced examinees shrank and some candidates moved into the private sector, with growth in special-needs classes also lifting demand.
- Regional patterns diverged, with Kansai seen past its peak retirement cycle and Tohoku expected to continue, while the ministry presses boards to improve working conditions and move up selection timelines.