A corporate survey comparing hiring conditions and AI adoption in Japan and the US found that approximately 9.7% of Japanese companies and 27.7% of US companies were AI adoption leaders, indicating a gap between the two countries. More than 80% of companies had not reduced hiring, while AI adoption leaders were more likely to have changed their hiring targets.
株式会社インディードリクルートパートナーズ surveyed 6,180 employed people involved in hiring activities in Japan and the US on changes in AI adoption and hiring conditions. The survey covered employed people aged 20–59 residing in Japan and the US and was conducted in March 2026. For the analysis, companies implementing all 3 AI initiatives were defined as AI adoption leaders.
AI adoption leaders accounted for 9.7% of companies in Japan and 27.7% in the US, meaning the US figure was approximately 3 times higher than Japan’s. In both countries, the US tended to exceed Japan across all initiatives.
Regarding the impact on hiring numbers, from 2023 onward, among both new graduates and junior-level employees and senior-level employees, the proportion of companies that said they had not reduced hiring, meaning hiring had increased or remained flat, was substantially higher than the proportion that said they had reduced hiring.
Regarding changes in the composition of hiring, the proportion of companies that had changed their hiring targets was higher among AI adoption leaders than among other companies in both Japan and the US. In Japan, many companies cited addressing labor shortages as a reason. In both countries, AI adoption leaders were more likely to cite changes in the skills required as a result of adopting and using generative AI.