AI adoption in staffing and white-collar recruitment is reported as the AI matching ratio relative to the FY2025 market size. The 2026 survey found that the practical use of AI is expanding and indicated that its application to matching is also expected to advance.
Yano Research Institute analyzed AI adoption in Japan’s staffing and white-collar recruitment markets through a corporate survey and estimated the AI matching ratio at 8.4% in FY2025. This represents the share accounted for by matching in which AI was used to select and identify suitable candidates for job openings and excludes uses other than matching.
A survey was conducted in June and July 2026, covering 32 staffing companies and 29 white-collar recruitment companies. Although around 60% of staffing companies use AI, fewer than 10% use it for matching. The survey found that AI is used primarily to improve the efficiency of internal operations, such as preparing sales materials and drafting job postings.
Meanwhile, around half of the companies in the white-collar recruitment market use AI, and around 20% of those use AI to match job seekers with job openings. AI adoption has also advanced across multiple processes beyond matching, including resume preparation support and interview preparation support.
The AI matching ratio is expected to be 11.4% in FY2026, an increase of 3.0 percentage points from the previous year. As both markets show strong intentions to use AI in the future, the share accounted for by matching may rise further. The survey methodology specifies the survey period, number of companies covered and survey method.