Digital platform employment is a form of work that can be flexible and easy to access, though it typically offers short-term tasks and limited job security. As one of the core components of the gig economy, this type of work involves paid work organized through websites or apps that connect workers with clients and often oversee or organize the work process.
In December 2025, 667,000 Canadians (2.3% of the population aged 15 to 69) had done paid work through a digital platform in the previous 12 months, little changed compared with December 2024 (671,000; 2.3%). These workers provided services; rented out accommodation, goods or equipment; or sold goods through websites or apps that coordinated their work activities or managed payments, Statistics Canada reported recently.
The most common types of digital platform employment that Canadians did in the 12 months to December remained the delivery of food or other goods (272,000 people), personal transport services (184,000 people) and selling goods online with the specific purpose of earning income (92,000 people), explained the federal agency.
“Digital platform employment is often taken up as a secondary activity or done sporadically. Among people who had worked through an internet platform or app in the 12 months to December 2025, less than one-quarter (21.8%) were doing so as part of their main job or business in December,” it said.
“Further, less than half (45.6%) of digital platform workers reported that the main reason they had started working through an internet platform or app was to supplement income from a main job or to earn extra money. Other common main reasons included difficulty finding other work (15.4%) or flexible working hours or convenience (14.2%).
“Among recent immigrants (those who had landed in Canada in the previous five years), 8.4% had worked through an internet platform or app in the 12 months to December 2025. This was about 6 times higher than the corresponding proportion among people born in Canada (1.5%). Compared with a year earlier, the proportion was up 2.7 percentage points for recent immigrants but little changed (-0.1 percentage points) for people born in Canada.”
Mario Toneguzzi
Mario Toneguzzi is Managing Editor of Canada’s Entrepreneur. He has more than 40 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist, and editor. He was named in 2021 and 2024 as one of the top business journalists in the world by PR News. He was also named by RETHINK to its global list of Top Retail Experts 2024, 2025 and 2026.
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