Translation guide
An employment agency is a business that matches job seekers with employers. In Japanese, the most common term is 職業紹介所, but other terms like 人材紹介会社 or ハローワーク are used depending on context.
employment agency
General term; use ハローワーク for the public office in casual contexts.
A business that helps people find jobs and helps employers find workers.
General term for an employment agency or job placement office. Can refer to both public and private agencies.
I'm looking for a job through an employment agency.
Refers specifically to a private recruitment agency or staffing firm that introduces candidates to companies.
I registered with a recruitment agency.
The common name for the Public Employment Security Office in Japan. Often used in casual conversation to refer to the government-run employment agency.
I plan to go to Hello Work tomorrow.
Formal term for the public employment security office. Often abbreviated as 職安.
I found a job through the public employment office.
An agency that dispatches temporary workers to companies.
職業紹介所 is a broad term covering any job placement office. 人材紹介会社 specifically refers to private recruitment agencies that charge companies for successful placements. ハローワーク is the colloquial name for the government-run Public Employment Security Office (公共職業安定所).
When you sign up with an agency, you typically say 登録する (register). For example, 派遣会社に登録する means to register with a temp agency.
I registered with a temp agency and they introduced me to an office job.
I used a staffing agency to find a short-term job.