Nearly 1 in 4 Canadians and half of Gen Z have a side hustle, survey finds

A new survey reveals that nearly one in four Canadians, or 23 percent, have a side hustle, dedicating an average of 13 hours per week to their secondary job, according to Ipsos research commissioned by Ownr, a business registration platform. The figure jumps to nearly half, 47 percent, when considering those who plan to take up side hustles in the near future.

Gen Z, comprising young adults aged 18-24, is particularly likely to have a side hustle, with 46 percent of Gen Z respondents currently engaged in one. The primary driver for having a side hustle is the need to supplement regular income (39 percent), followed by concerns about the rising cost of living (33 percent). A quarter (26 percent) of respondents took on a side hustle to pay off debt.

While many individuals start side hustles due to financial stress, Ownr CEO Jordan Casey highlights the entrepreneurial potential behind these ventures. "There's a lot of entrepreneurial ambition in Canada, and this data proves that even more of it may be hiding in plain sight," Casey remarked.

Around one in five (19 percent) of side hustlers express intentions to transition their side gig into a full-time business, with this percentage rising to 29 percent among Gen Z participants. Over half of Gen Z respondents consider their side hustle a legitimate business, yet many face challenges in creating an exit plan. "What starts as extra income often becomes a realization: 'I'm actually good at this.' Then comes the thought, 'I could do this full-time.' That's where it gets hard," Casey explained.

Forty percent of all respondents are unsure whether they should incorporate their side hustle as a business, while another 40 percent lack understanding of the legal requirements for launching a business. A "confidence gap" emerges between genders, with only 58 percent of women indicating they know when to register their business, compared to 69 percent of men.