Japanese Teenagers Turning to Secondhand Marketplace Apps as Part-Time Job Incomes Take a Hit

In July 2023, SMBC Consumer Finance conducted a survey of students aged 15 to 19 to assess Japanese teenagers’ thinking about money. The results of the survey, which received 1,000 valid responses, showed that students’ average income fell by ¥2,318 compared to the previous year. While earnings for high school students remained around the same at ¥11,650, university students (including university preparatory school and junior college students) saw a drop in wages of ¥5,737 down to ¥38,140.

While 52.0% of high school students stated they received “pocket money only,” this was true for only 15.8% of university students. Meanwhile, 65.8% of university students said they earned “income other than pocket money,” showing the significant increase in the percentage of income earned by themselves through part-time work and other sources after entering higher education.

However, the earnings university students made from part-time jobs fell sharply by ¥4,405 from ¥32,903 in 2022 to ¥28,498 in the 2023 survey. SMBC Consumer Finance suggested that the significant decline in income from part-time work may be due to changes in student lifestyles resulting from the downgrading of COVID-19 to category 5, as well as the severe impact of soaring prices on the food and beverage industry. This fall in part-time job wages has in turn led to a major reduction in teenagers’ incomes.

The survey revealed that teenagers are joining the growing trend of individuals trading goods online. Secondhand marketplace apps are helping to drive this type of sales. When respondents were asked if they were using such apps, 12.5% said yes and a further 49.9% said that they want to earn money that way. At 69.4%, teenage girls had a more positive approach to earning money from secondhand marketplace apps, a much higher percentage than the 55.4% of teenage boys who responded similarly. And while the average monthly income from such apps was ¥2,317, 8% stated they earned more than ¥10,000.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)