It’s probably a legacy from the good old sexist days in Japan when men and women followed very different corporate entry paths that Toyo Keizai chooses to split its graduate employer popularity ranking between males and females. Back in the day, men tended to be graduates of 4 year universities and follow the management track, whereas many of the women went to 2 year junior colleges and entered the administrative track.
It’s intriguing nonetheless to speculate why men in particular choose the companies they do, compared to the most popular choices for men and women combined.
Top choice for men for the second year running is the Japanese trading company Itochu. Known to be more maverick than its rather more staid rivals Mitsubishi Corp and Mitsui & Co, it has been beating them on net income in recent years too. And it pays well. It tops the combined male/female chart too. Mitsubishi Corp has regained some ground, however, and is at number 3 for men, up from 14 the previous year, but is clearly less popular with women, as the combined ranking is 8th. Mitsui is #30 for men, up from #43 a year ago and also less popular with women as the combined rank is #36. Sumitomo Corporation is at #38, down from #31 a year ago.
6 out of the top 10 choices for men are financial services companies – Nippon Life Insurance at #2 this year, up from #7 the previous year, Daiwa Securities at #4 (#3 the previous year), SMBC Nikko at #7 (down from #2), Mizuho Securities at #8 (down from #6), Mizuho Financial Group at #9, same rank as the previous year, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust and Banking at #10 up from #19.
SMBC had a big jump to #11 from #28 and MUFG is at #21 up from #29. However Nomura has significantly lost popularity, down to #27 from #17 and fares even worse in the combined male/female rankings, at #39.
Manufacturers are doing well – Sony up to #20 from #35, Toyota at #29 up from #49, Suntory up to #28 from #62. Panasonic is only at #67, but that’s a big improvement on #115 of a year ago.
The only non-Japanese employer for men in the top 100 is Accenture at #33, up one place from #34.
Overall, Japanese 21 year old men seem to have a preference for established Japanese companies that are performing well, pay well, and would make your mum proud.
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