In Japan, many retirees are using an app to find small hourly jobs and supplement their income

In an aging country with a shortage of workers, a majority of Japanese work after the age of 65. An hourly or daily work application, popular with young people, also helps them find small tasks to earn a little money.

Like France, Japan is worried about its public finances and its pension system, which is nevertheless very ungenerous. A majority of older people work after 65 years old and, to find work, they now resort to an application for hourly or daily work, to supplement their meager income.

While in France there is much debate about the size of the public debt, this is equivalent to 110% of the gross domestic product, whereasIn Japan, we have just passed the 260% mark of GDP. It’s a record. However, this does not cause any controversy there, because this state debt is contracted with Japanese investors. They are the ones who are massively buying, despite very low interest rates, bonds issued by the government. So there is no concern about the country’s ability to continue borrowing cheaply.

This debt nevertheless raises questions about the future financing of social protection with the soaring number of elderly people. Pensions are already very low in the country and many seniors are forced to work very late. Currently, 51% of those over 65 still have a job. And in the 70-75 age group, one in three Japanese still has to work, at least part-time.

Some seniors are now using part-time work applications.There are tens of thousands of people using an app called Timee. It’s very simple, you enter your profile and your geographic location. And the app instantly offers you small jobs near you, without many qualifications. It is paid by the hour, half-day or day. There is no complicated contract.

For example, it is about going to clean vegetables in a supermarket from 4pm to 8pm on the same day, earning 5,300 yen, that is to say 33 euros. If you are free at 11am, you can also go set up chairs for a conference. It’s 45 euros for 6 hours of work. For many elderly people living alone, it is a way to earn a little money and maintain a form of social connection.

Besides, this application does not only employ elderly people. IThere is no age limit. It is also widely used by students. In Japan, 10 million accounts have been opened on various gig work applications. And tens of thousands of companies are now posting job offers. With the birth rate falling over the past 50 years, employers are all suffering from labor shortages. The Recruit agency estimates that within 15 years, Japan will be short of 11 million workers.