Persol (2181) IR Day 2026 summary

Business positioning and frontline strategy

• Portfolio to 2030+ prioritizes Staffing BPO and Asia Pacific for stronger profit bases, while Career and Technology pursue AI-enabled growth.

• Focus on frontline markets with persistent labor shortages and rising workforce mobility, using Gojob and domestic business synergies to expand across industries including manufacturing, logistics, construction, food service and nursing care.

• Build an AI- and data-enabled matching platform spanning staffing, placement and gig work to support career opportunities and employer workforce planning, hiring, retention and development.

Career SBU

• Target FY2028 revenue growth of 7%-10% YoY and adjusted EBITDA margin of at least 20%, through AI-enabled placement and expansion in higher-growth segments.

• Placement represents ~60% of revenue; high-income candidates earning JPY6m+ account for one-fourth of placement, alongside recruitment media and side-job/freelancer services.

• Phase AI into hiring during FY2026-FY2027, targeting full-process implementation by FY2028; AI counseling aims to raise counseling rates 1.2x and proprietary-data matching conversion 1.3x.

• Target CAGR of at least 10% in high-income placements and 20% in HiPro side-job and freelancer support by FY2028; expand doda into JPY6m-JPY8m earners and doda X toward JPY8m+.

Technology SBU

• Shift from engineer provision to solution-led work combining AI and physical expertise; develop engineers for PMO and consulting roles.

• Target 10% revenue CAGR and adjusted EBITDA margin of 10% in FY2028, rising to 12% in FY2030; target employee pay increases of inflation plus 1%.

• Expand into defense, aerospace and semiconductors, leveraging customer relationships; plan combines sales growth of at least 10%, ~3 percentage-point gross margin improvement and 3-point SG&A ratio reduction, with merger or partnership considered by FY2030.