Timee Publishes Research Report on the Potential for Creating "Related Population" through Spot Work

Timee Inc. (Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Ryo Ogawa), which provides the gap-time part-time job service "Timee," announces the "Research Report on the Possibility of Wide-Area Employment and Related Population Creation through Spot Work Matching Platforms," based on Timee's system data and a survey of its workers.

In recent years, expectations for "kankei jinko" (related population) – individuals with continuous and diverse connections to specific regions – have been rising. While systems to deepen the engagement between regions and external human resources are being developed, such as the planned launch of the "Furusato Resident Registration System" in fiscal year 2026, the shortage of human resources for regional development due to population decline, a challenge faced by many local governments, is a serious issue. (※1)

Meanwhile, spot work, where individuals can easily work at their preferred times and locations, enables employment outside of their usual living areas. This has led to cases like "earning travel expenses through spot work and traveling around Japan." (※2)

Against this backdrop, our company conducted a survey to understand the reality of wide-area employment through spot work matching platforms and the potential for creating related populations. This release reports the main findings of this survey. For details, please refer to the report at the link below.

★https://cdn.blog.st-hatena.com/files/6802418398299800084/17179246901372032315

※1：Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, "Regarding the Creation of the 'Furusato Resident Registration System'"

https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/001010766.pdf

※2: "I can now enjoy my travels systematically." We asked a traveler circumnavigating Japan by motorcycle about how they use Timee.

https://lab.timee.co.jp/blog/mylife/interview0007

Survey Result Digest

⚫️ 742,000 people annually achieved matching beyond their living or commuting areas

⚫️ Among 'Out-of-Area Workers,' 33.1% had no prior connection to the region before working there. Employment through Timee serves as an opportunity for 'encounters with regions they had no prior contact with.'

⚫️ Approximately 80% of 'Out-of-Area Workers' show a high intention for regional activities and economic engagement.

Survey Result Highlights

742,000 people annually engaged in matching beyond their living or commuting areas

The number of 'wide-area matchings' (employment involving travel beyond daily living or commuting areas (※3)) through Timee was estimated to be a total of 742,000 people over the one-year period from August 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025. Furthermore, the estimated number of workers who worked three or more times within the same municipality was 195,000. This suggests that through Timee, workers are moving outside their living or commuting areas, providing an opportunity to engage with distant regions.

※3: Defined as matching that does not meet any of the following criteria ① to ③.

① The worker resides in the same municipality as the employment municipality.

② The worker resides in a municipality adjacent to the employment municipality (including other prefectures).

③ The worker resides in a municipality belonging to the same 'Prefectural Economic Zone' (according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' 'National Survey of Family Income and Expenditure') as the employment municipality.

Among 'Out-of-Area Workers,' 33.1% had no prior connection to the region before working there. Employment through Timee serves as an opportunity for 'encounters with regions they had no prior contact with.'

When 'Out-of-Area Workers' (those who have experienced working in other regions from afar through Timee) were asked about their prior connections to those regions, 37.1% responded that they had visited for tourism (day trips or overnight stays). The experience of visiting for tourism once may lower the psychological barrier for future employment choices.

Additionally, 33.1% had no prior connection to the region before working there, indicating that employment through Timee serves as an opportunity for 'encounters with regions they had no prior contact with.'

Approximately 80% of 'Out-of-Area Workers' show a high intention for regional activities and economic engagement.

Based on their actions during employment, 'Income-focused' workers (※4) accounted for the largest share at 55.1%. However, approximately half (45.0%) were engaged in regional economic activities and community engagement beyond mere labor, combining the 'Leisure-focused' (35.9%) and 'Regionally Interested' (9.1%) types.

Analyzing 'actual experiences' along with 'potential intentions' (what they would like to experience), the combined proportion of 'Leisure-focused' and 'Regionally Interested' types significantly increased from the actual 45.0% to 78.6%. This revealed that approximately 80% of 'Out-of-Area Workers' possess an intention for regional activities and economic engagement.

Furthermore, the proportion of those who experienced stays involving overnight accommodation was significantly higher for the 'Leisure-focused' (23.5%) and 'Regionally Interested' (30.6%) types compared to the 'Income-focused' (6.9%) type, supporting the reality that individuals with strong regional interest engage more deeply in local consumption and community activities through medium-to-long term stays.

※4: Individuals in remote areas who, aside from working for Timee, engage in no specific activities.

※5: Individuals who, in addition to working for Timee in remote areas, also engage in other activities such as tourism, shopping, or their primary job. (Excluding those falling under 'Regionally Interested').

※6: Individuals who, in addition to working for Timee in remote areas, also participate in 'community activities' such as festivals, volunteer work, or local revitalization efforts.

Conclusion

The results of this report suggest that the working style of spot work through Timee has a high potential to create 'related populations' through wide-area matching and out-of-area employment. For regions to strategically create and expand related populations, it is important to develop mechanisms that convert workers' latent intentions into action, and to provide opportunities through collaboration with diverse stakeholders. The role played by matching platforms that connect regions and individuals through employment is also considered significant.

★For details of this survey report, please check the link below.

https://cdn.blog.st-hatena.com/files/6802418398299800084/17179246901372032315

About Collaboration between Timee and Local Governments

Our company has signed collaboration agreements with 40 prefectures and 84 municipalities (※7) so far, strengthening our initiatives for regional revitalization and activation. Several of these municipalities include 'creation of related populations' as a theme, and we are advancing case-building as explained in this report.

※7：As of April 3, 2026. List of past collaboration announcements with municipalities by Timee: https://spotwork.timee.co.jp/local-government

Company Profile

Establishment: August 2017

Representative: Ryo Ogawa

Location: Shiodome City Center 35F, 1-5-2 Higashi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo

URL: https://corp.timee.co.jp/

Timee Lab: https://lab.timee.co.jp/

Spot Work Research Institute: https://spotwork.timee.co.jp/