NISEKO NEWS
By Thomas Shomaker
Kutchan Town is taking steps to address winter season labour shortages.
On 19 September, it held two free, one-hour online seminars in collaboration with Timey Co., which is an app-based service that allows potential part time workers to connect with employers.
Timey launched in 2017 and mainly focuses on service and manual jobs, like restaurant and supermarket positions, warehousing, delivery and moving gigs, as well as event and hotel staff.
Specifically, Kutchan Town is hoping that Timey’s “Sukima Byte Service”, which matches the hours that businesses need filled with the available hours potential workers input, will help alleviate the labour shortage seen last winter in Kutchan, especially in the resort areas.
Once the borders reopened last October, winter bookings came back immediately to the Niseko area, a sign of both pent up demand and the desire of travellers to take advantage of the historically weak yen.
Although this was a welcome return, the speed of the change following the Covid era left resorts, restaurateurs and all manner of service providers in the area scrambling to hire staff, and often inbound visitors had difficulty finding accommodations that could accept them.
Kutchan Town’s work with Timey mirrors other efforts, both local and regional, to address the labour shortage, like the Hokkaido Transportation Bureau’s recently-crafted plan to secure more taxis for the Niseko area this winter.
You might also be interested in…
Real Estate Listings
Invest in Life… Powderlife
Accommodation Inspiration
This is the Life… Powderlife
Subscribe
Sign up to receive Powderlife and Summerlife Digital Magazines as they are published and select other topics that interests you.