Young Canadians turn to side hustles as economic pressures mount

More young Canadians are turning to multiple income streams to make ends meet, as economic uncertainty and a challenging job market push them to supplement their full-time jobs with gig work. Akarshi Sharma, a 25-year-old tech worker from Abbotsford, B.C., paints nails and streams video games on Twitch to earn extra cash. She graduated with a computer science degree in 2024 but found it difficult to secure an entry-level position, attributing the challenge to the rise of artificial intelligence. Even with a steady paycheck, half of her income goes to rent, leaving little for savings or other expenses.

Asmita Bhutani, an assistant professor at York University, notes that gig work as a secondary income source has become more common in recent years. An H&R Block survey from 2025 found that 7.4 million adult Canadians were part of the gig economy, with nearly one in four reporting a side hustle. A Capital One survey from the same year highlighted that 36% of Canadians aged 18 to 44 had a second source of income, with Gen Z adults 10% more likely to have a side hustle than millennials or Gen Xers.

Maryam Mahmoudi, a 29-year-old MBA student with degrees in electrical engineering and applied mathematics, has struggled to find full-time work in her field. She conducts research interviews and engages in mystery shopping to supplement her income. She believes recent layoffs and AI are reducing the need for some entry-level roles, making it difficult for new graduates to find jobs that utilize their skills.

Armaan Rashid, a 30-year-old Torontonian, was laid off in July 2025 due to U.S. tariffs and the Canada-U.S. trade war. He now runs a sales services business and rents out his apartment on Airbnb to generate multiple income streams. He sees this as a necessary adaptation to an unpredictable job market, stating, “It’s not really a choice. It’s more like you have to adapt to the situation.”