The Importance of Networks in the Market for University Graduates in Japan: A Longitudinal Analysis of Hiring Patterns.

This study examines the extent to which the transition from university education to work is characterised by persistent hiring flows between university faculties and employers, rather than being characterised by an open market process. More than half of all hires may be attributed to persistence in hiring by employers from specific faculties. Persistence appears to be related to the screening of potential employees and to the assurance of supply. Persistence is also stronger in hiring from faculties with higher percentages of male graduates, supporting the view that investment in employment ties rises with the expected tenure of the hired employee. Copyright 2000 by Oxford University Press.