Young People Flock to Expo's 'Kkul Alba'... 28:1 Competition Rate for 16,000 Won Hourly Wage

60~70% Higher Than Average Hourly Wage
17,000 Applicants for 600 Positions
Nearby Companies Like Universal Studios Say "Worried About Losing Workers"
Everyone Raising Hourly Wages

Ahead of the 'Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025' opening in April next year, part-time jobs at the expo site have become the 'best part-time job' among young people in Japan. With 17,000 applicants competing for 600 positions, the competition is fierce. As a result, companies near the expo site, such as Universal Studios Japan, have expressed complaints, saying, "We are already short-staffed, but the expo is taking all the part-time workers."

The number of applicants who submitted applications for the 'Expo Service Crew' recruitment held from April 13 to May 30 was 16,828. Japanese MBS News reported, "Nearly three times the recruitment quota of 600 people applied," and "The competition rate is expected to be about 28:1."

Expo Service Crew Recruitment Announcement - Application Guide.
[Photo by Expo Service Crew Recruitment Homepage]

This part-time job, working at the expo hall information desk, lost and found center, entrances, etc., is divided into two types: 'Core Crew,' who work full-time five days a week with an hourly wage of 1,850 yen (15,880 KRW), and 'Support Crew,' who can choose their working days starting from one day a week. The Expo Association plans to select the final personnel through screening by the end of September and conduct training from October.

The explosive interest among young people in this expo part-time job in Japan is due to the high wages that far exceed those elsewhere. According to the recruitment site Recruit, as of March this year, the average hourly wage for part-time jobs in the Kansai region was 1,144 yen (9,800 KRW), and in the Tokyo metropolitan area, it was 1,231 yen (10,560 KRW). The expo hourly wage is about 60-70% higher than the average.

The Yomiuri Shimbun analyzed the reason for the high hourly wage for the expo part-time jobs, stating, "Since the expo venue is inconvenient for commuting compared to central Osaka, it may be difficult to recruit workers without offering higher wages."

For part-time jobs recruited outside the association, the hourly wage is even higher. The 'Japan Pavilion,' in which the Japanese government participates, separately recruited early under the name 'Attendant,' offering an hourly wage of 1,950 yen (16,700 KRW), which became a hot topic. Osaka Metro also recruited electric vehicle bus drivers for venue reception, offering a contract hourly wage of 2,000 yen (17,000 KRW). Among young people, the story that 'the era of 2,000 yen hourly wage for expo part-time jobs has begun' spread widely and became a hot topic.

Description of recruitment sections for Expo Service Crew recruitment announcement. (Photo by Expo Service Crew Recruitment Homepage)

Because of this, concerns have even arisen that all part-time workers will flock to the expo, affecting nearby companies. In Japan, which is already suffering from a chronic labor shortage, if part-time workers leave due to the expo's high wages, nearby companies will inevitably have to join in raising wages. Universal Studios Japan, the theme park closest to the expo site in Osaka, responded by deciding to raise the minimum hourly wage for part-time workers by 50 yen (430 KRW) starting in April.

However, companies that cannot raise wages are voicing complaints. Yomiuri quoted another official recruiting part-time workers near the expo site, saying, "We are already struggling due to a shortage of workers; how can we compete with a world-class expo level? This is practically a form of pressure." A staff member from the staffing agency Persol Temp pointed out, "In the Kansai region, the shortage of customer service staff in hotels and department stores is intensifying," and added, "From the second half of this year, the trend of everyone raising wages will become even more apparent."