Major Japanese companies are planning to sharply curtail new graduate recruitment in spring 2010 as business confidence continues to deteriorate amid the global economic slump, a recent survey indicates.

The survey, which received responses from 110 major companies, showed that 38 firms, or 35 percent, are planning to reduce annual recruitment in 2010, compared with only 5 percent in a poll for recruitment in 2009 conducted a year earlier. Only five companies, or 5 percent, plan to increase recruitment in 2010, compared with 34 percent in the previous survey.

The number of companies that have yet to decide on their recruitment plans due to economic uncertainties doubled to 39 while 28 companies plan to maintain hiring at year-earlier levels.