Japan's Ultra-Short-Term Part-Time Job 'Spot Worker' Surpasses 10 Million... 30% Surge in Half a Year

30~40% of Spot Workers Are 'Employees Doing Side Jobs'
From Simple Assistance to Core Workforce Amid Labor Shortage

In Japan, the so-called 'Spot Workers,' a type of ultra-short-term part-time job that emerged after COVID-19, has surpassed 10 million people, transforming from auxiliary labor to core personnel in simple labor sectors such as the food service industry. With the rise of specialized smartphone applications (apps) that connect companies seeking spot workers with office workers looking for side jobs, it is expected to bring significant changes to the labor market.

Advertisement for the Japanese spot worker brokerage application Taimee. It introduces the ability to do part-time jobs without interviews or resumes. (Photo by Taimee website)

On the 22nd, Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) cited figures from the Japan Spot Work Association, reporting that the total registered members of four major intermediary companies exceeded 10.7 million as of last month. This number has doubled compared to the end of 2020 and accounts for 15% of the employed population in Japan.

Spot work began to spread in the late 2010s and became more common due to COVID-19. It has attracted attention from office workers seeking additional income, especially because it allows freedom to choose working hours and locations.

In Japan, spot work and gig work are distinguished based on employment contracts. Gig work is conducted through task outsourcing without an employment contract with the company, while spot work involves short-term employment contracts by the hour or day but without a continuous employment relationship. Spot work is thus a broader concept encompassing both gig work and short-term part-time jobs.

The core concept is that office workers or students can earn money during their spare time. According to industry estimates, 30-40% of spot workers are regular employees working side jobs. Another 30% are freelancers, and the rest are students.

Corporate demand for spot workers is also rapidly increasing. The corporate membership of the spot worker intermediary company Taimee has grown by 40% in one year to about 40,000 companies. As of April, the number of job openings by industry posted by companies increased significantly: izakayas saw a 2.5-fold increase, restaurants a 5-fold increase, and hotels about a 10-fold increase compared to a year ago. This is believed to be due to intensified labor shortages caused by the increase in inbound tourists. Nikkei reported, "Labor shortages are severe in every industry, and companies are trying to supplement their workforce with spot workers."

Perceptions of spot workers are also changing. Unlike before, when they were seen as auxiliary labor focused on simple tasks, there is now a movement to regard spot workers as core personnel. Minadein, a restaurant operator in Tokyo, opened an izakaya in Minato Ward last May that recruits two-thirds of its staff as daily spot workers. They are actively hiring short-term daily part-time workers.

Some spot worker intermediary companies have even developed self-improvement programs. For example, Taimee provides forklift operation training for on-site workers at nearby logistics facilities.

According to the Japanese recruitment company Recruit, due to low birth rates and an aging population, about 11 million workers will be lacking in Japan by 2040. Nikkei stated, "There will likely be many opportunities for spot workers to play active roles in manufacturing and caregiving sectors as well."

However, since spot workers exist in a legal gray area, there are calls to improve labor conditions. There have been consistent reports of harm, such as being assigned dangerous tasks that differ from recruitment conditions. In response, major intermediary companies established the Spot Work Association in 2022. This organization is creating voluntary rules among platforms to exclude illegal job postings.