Honda Eyes 40 Pct Cut in New Grads Employment for 2010

Tokyo, Feb. 12 (Jiji Press)--Honda Motor Co. <7267> said Thursday
it will cut its employment of new graduates in spring 2010 by 40 pct from
the year-before level due to deteriorating earnings.

The major Japanese automaker plans to hire 890 new graduates in
spring 2010, against 1,490 this year. It will be the first time in four
years that Honda has hired less than 1,000 new graduates.
The reduction reflects falling new automobile sales amid the global
financial crisis, company officials said.
For spring 2010, Honda plans to hire 540 four-year university
graduates for engineering positions, down from 850 a year earlier, and 80
for clerical and other white-collar jobs, down from 120. It will employ 270
high school and two-year college graduates, down from 520.
Among other major Japanese automakers, Nissan Motor Co. <7201>
plans to slash its recruitment of new graduates to less than a hundred in
spring 2010, from 582 this year.