[Research Report] Job Availability Ratio for Short-Term/One-Off Gigs Stands at 5.21x, Average Hourly Wage for Gig Work is ¥1,247

Tsunagu Working Style Research Institute (Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Director: Hiroshi Ohno), a research organization for diverse working styles under the umbrella of Tsunagu Group Holdings, Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Mitsuhiro Yoneda), which provides RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) and recruitment consulting services, publishes the "Gig Work Market Data Report" every month to track the "market for gig workers who work short-term, one-off jobs," which has been expanding in recent years.

This report presents the latest data for April 2026.

Click here for report details

[Topics]

1. Gig work job availability ratio reaches 5.21x, a significant increase of 2.21 points from the same month last year.

2. While the growth rate of work postings increased from the previous month, convenience store and delivery jobs showed a decline compared to the same month last year.

3. The average hourly wage for gig work is ¥1,247, remaining at the same level as the previous month.

1: Gig work job availability ratio reaches 5.21x, a significant increase of 2.21 points from the same month last year

The gig work job availability ratio for April 2026 was 5.21x. This represents an increase of 0.89 points from the previous month and 2.21 points from the same month last year, marking the 23rd consecutive month that the ratio has exceeded that of the same month in the previous year. While both the number of job postings and the number of job seekers continue to exceed last year's figures, the increase in job postings appears to be the primary driver of the rising job availability ratio.

2: While the growth rate of work postings increased from the previous month, convenience store and delivery jobs showed a decline compared to the same month last year

In April 2026, the growth rate of work postings increased by 3.0% compared to the previous month, but decreased by 4.5% compared to the same month last year. By job type, "convenience store staff" increased by 58.5% month-on-month, "warehouse/light labor" by 31.0%, and "delivery/driver" by 4.4%, with all three major job types exceeding the previous month's figures.

On the other hand, year-on-year, "convenience store staff" decreased by 9.0% and "delivery/driver" by 58.0%.

3: The average hourly wage for gig work is ¥1,247, remaining at the same level as the previous month

The average hourly wage for gig work in April 2026 was ¥1,247, remaining at the same level as the previous month. However, it was ¥62 lower than the same month last year, showing a slight stabilization from the high wage market seen in 2025. Regionally, all areas were below the same month last year, with the Kansai region showing a particularly large decrease of ¥84.

(Source)

Data from "Shotworks," a single-day part-time job site, from April 2022 to April 2026.

Statistics Bureau of Japan, "Labor Force Survey (Detailed Tabulation) Average for January-March 2026."

*Notice of Discontinuation of Publication*

Starting with the March 2026 data, we will discontinue the publication of comparative data with the "Average Hourly Wage Survey for Part-Time and Temporary Job Postings."

What is the Gig Work Market Data Report?

- Definition of Gig Work Market

Gig work refers to working short-term, one-off jobs without a "continuous employment relationship." It is further classified into two types: "gig work" where no employment contract is formed, and "one-off part-time jobs" where a short-term employment contract is formed. (An example of gig work is an Uber Eats delivery person). The gig work market is the market for individuals working in these styles and companies utilizing them.

- Current Market Situation

The number of gig workers surged due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is expected to continue expanding.

Individuals) Increased desire for supplementary work due to overtime regulations from work style reforms, and furloughs or reduced working hours caused by the pandemic.

Companies) Increased optimization of labor costs by deploying the necessary number of personnel when needed, without waste or inefficiency, from the perspective of improving productivity.

Technology) Entry of gig work recruitment service providers offering timely and on-demand matching.

- Significance of Continuous Monitoring

In 2018, the Statistics Bureau of Japan introduced the "Underutilization of Labor Index" based on ILO standards in its "Labor Force Survey." For example, "persons wishing to take additional employment" within this index are workers who can also be called "broadly unemployed." Working in a gig capacity in addition to current employment contributes to income stability for workers, thus improving the unemployment rate in a broad sense. On the other hand, from a macro perspective, the utilization of latent labor contributes to the improvement of national strength. From this perspective, which connects to such social significance, this market is continuously monitored, and data reports are issued to visualize market trends, useful topics, and inherent challenges.

About Tsunagu Working Style Research Institute

Established in 2015, Tsunagu Working Style Research Institute is a research organization for diverse working styles under the umbrella of Tsunagu Group Holdings, Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Mitsuhiro Yoneda) (Director: Hiroshi Ohno). The institute, along with experts active in corporate HR and labor law, explains key points and perspectives of enacted labor laws, and records and analyzes the background leading to revisions while proposing an "ideal state." It pioneers "the future of employment" as a research institution for all labor laws surrounding "work."

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Tsunagu Group Holdings, Inc. (TSE Standard, Securities Code: 6551)

Location: 7-3-5 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, HULIC Ginza 7-chome Building 7F & 8F Representative: Mitsuhiro Yoneda, President & CEO Business Activities: Formulation of management strategies and management of the group, including recruitment solution businesses (recruitment consulting, outsourcing, etc.), temporary staffing business, and paid employment placement business, and related operations. URL: https://tghd.co.jp/

Tsunagu Group Holdings, Inc. is a recruitment solutions company that solves corporate human resource challenges, primarily through RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) and recruitment consulting. Connecting 3.46 million applicants with over 170,000 businesses, it is used by one in five major corporations. To address the labor shortage caused by the declining birthrate and aging population, its medium-term management plan advocates "Circular Recruiting," and it is promoting the creation of new recruitment infrastructure and investment in growth areas through services such as the alumni recruitment support service "Almunia" and support for the active participation of foreign nationals.