The Reality of Strategic Utilization of External Talent Chosen in an Era of Difficult Talent Acquisition: 2025 Business Needs Trend Research Report Released

Coconala Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director and CEO: Ayumu Suzuki, TSE Growth: 4176, hereinafter referred to as 'the Company') has conducted a trend survey on business needs for the fiscal year 2025, based on the usage trends of Japan's largest skill market 'Coconala Skill Market' and its agent businesses 'Coconala Tech', 'Coconala Assist', 'Coconala Consul', and 'Coconala Pro'. According to Tokyo Shoko Research's TSR Data Insight, bankruptcies due to 'labor shortages' reached a record high of 397 cases in 2025. In an era where securing talent is not easy, we investigated how companies are strategically utilizing external talent. Summary of Survey Results The number of registered accounts for business purposes on 'Coconala Skill Market' has exceeded 620,000, and its utilization is expanding widely from startups to major corporations. About 40% of companies listed on the TSE Prime Market use it repeatedly, indicating that the utilization of external talent is taking root as a steady management tool rather than a passing trend. AI needs have evolved from 'learning utilization methods' to 'incorporation into actual operations'. While 2024 saw many requests for utilization support such as how to use ChatGPT and prompt creation, 2025 has shifted to requests involving concrete deliverables, such as application development and the construction of business tools. In 'Coconala Skill Market', search keywords for 'Instagram operation (up 145%)' have grown. Searches for specific IT tool names have also surged. In addition, searches for 'subsidies' and 'sales agency' are expanding. In the agent service 'Coconala Assist', the gross merchandise value in the marketing domain, where the acquisition of specialized talent is most fiercely competitive, skyrocketed to 654% compared to the previous year. Main Body of Survey Results 'Coconala Skill Market' is Japan's largest skill marketplace where individuals can buy and sell their knowledge, skills, and experience, ranging from 'production' such as design, illustration, website creation, video, and music production, to 'support and agency' such as business and marketing. With a system completed online from searching for services to purchasing and delivery, transactions can be made regardless of time or place. It is utilized as a platform where specific tasks, such as logo design creation and video production, can be requested precisely. On the other hand, the agent business is a service that introduces professional talent suitable for corporate needs by utilizing a database of over 1.3 million registered skilled workers. It becomes a contract format mediated by the Company, and through support by dedicated representatives, it aids companies in promoting projects and securing talent. It is increasingly utilized as a means to secure flexible personnel on a project basis, developing five services for each specialized area, such as 'Coconala Tech' specialized for IT engineers, 'Coconala Assist' for online assistant areas like HR and accounting, and 'Coconala BPO' where professional talent in each area forms a team to support and act on behalf of the company according to its needs. In this survey, 1 to 4 are summarized as usage trends in 'Coconala Skill Market', and 5 to 7 in the agent business. 1. Coconala Skill Market: The Accelerating Reality of 'Corporate Utilization of External Talent' Over 620,000 corporate members. The establishment of 'external talent utilization' repeated by 40% of TSE Prime listed companies. Since the start of the service in 2012, 'Coconala Skill Market' has continued to grow as Japan's largest skill market. Following the expansion of business-oriented features from 2021, its use in business scenes has accelerated. What is particularly noteworthy is that introduction is accelerating regardless of company size. It is widely utilized from startups to TSE Prime listed companies, and among them, about 40% of listed companies use it repeatedly, highlighting the reality that the utilization of external talent is progressing even among Japan's leading large corporations. *Calculated based on accounts that answered the 'corporation' attribute at the time of member registration and 'ordering (purchasing)' as the purpose of use. 2. Coconala Skill Market: Popular Business Categories SNS operation and video production take top spots. A structure where external talent supports corporate 'communication power' In communication utilizing SNS and videos, where adaptation to rapidly changing algorithms and advanced production skills are required, the style of precisely requesting actual work from experts with the latest knowledge is spreading as a strong option. Furthermore, there is a continuous support need for 'operation agency' rather than just SNS content production work.