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DID YOU KNOW?
- The Canadian gig economy ranged from Airbnb, Uber, SkipTheDishes, Etsy Stores, and dog walking to many freelance or contract work.
- 13%: in 2021, more than one in ten Canadians participated in the gig economy workforce.
- 250,000: delivery couriers and passenger drivers across the country in 2023.
- Immigrants make up a large share of these workers.
LOW PAY, HIGH COSTS
- Uber drivers in Toronto earn an average of $7.90 an hour, well below Ontario’s minimum wage of $15.50.
- For many gig workers, tipping has become one of the vital components of their source of income. 56% of Canadians have said they tipped more since the onset of the pandemic.
- However, many Canadians are unaware of the tax gig workers pay on tips. Most gig workers earn less than $5,000 a year from their gig job. However, for over one-quarter of gig workers, most of their total annual income (89%) was derived from gig work.
IN COURT
June 26, 2020
The Supreme Court of Canada held that Uber’s arbitration agreement with its drivers was unconscionable and invalid. It prescribed the Netherlands as the place of arbitration. (decisions.scc-csc.ca)
GOOD NEWS
- Working for Workers Act (2022)
The Ontario Government wants to establish a minimum wage and other foundational rights for digital platform workers. - "Foodora couriers are dependent contractors." Decision released by the Ontario Labour Relations Board in 2020.
Copyright - WageIndicator March 2023 (data collected between October 2022 and January 2023)