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Weekly insights to help you excel and thrive in Canada 🇨🇦
Hey guys, employment rose slightly by 91,000 in December while the unemployment declined by a tiny 0.1%. That’s not a lot, but better than expectations - economists expected unemployment to rise.
In today’s edition:
📊 Canada’s new border plan
💰 Where Canada’s technology investments are going
🍰 Why part time is the new full time
More jobs!
🤖 Microsoft bets on AI in Canada with a $19B investment in AI infrastructure projects: Threat Intelligence Hub in Ottawa and Data centres builds.
🏚 Healthcare, hospitality, natural resources have hired the most in the last month. Retail and wholesale trade lost 34k jobs.
🤑 Canada holds interest rate steady at 2.25%. The odds of the rates increasing by H2 next year have gone up. Is Canada doing better than we all think?
🏥 Canada and Germany launched a Digital Alliance aimed at accelerating the progress in quantum technologies, AI and digital infrastructure
Immigration updates:
Canada announced a new Border Plan - it’s shifting from “open but loosely enforced” to “open, but controlled.”
👮 The new border plan focuses on stronger screening at entry, better tracking of who enters and leaves, and faster action when someone no longer has legal status. The goal is to reduce loopholes — not to reduce legitimate immigration.
🛂 Big emphasis is on visa integrity. Visitor, student, and temporary work permits will be monitored more closely to prevent misuse. This means stricter checks for study permits, more oversight of work authorization, and quicker consequences when permits expire or conditions aren’t met.
🧳 The asylum system is also being streamlined. Canada wants to process genuine refugee claims faster while cutting down on long backlogs and repeat or abusive claims.
👨✈ Immigration levels remain high, but they’re becoming more targeted. Canada is aligning immigration more closely with labour shortages, housing capacity, and public services. Institutions that abuse the system — including low-quality colleges, shady recruiters, or employers misusing temporary workers — will face tighter rules and penalties.
Bottom line: if you’re planning to immigrate and follow the rules, this plan works in your favour. Canada is moving from a loosely enforced system to one that’s more structured, fair, and predictable — which is exactly what serious newcomers want.
The Portfolio Career Playbook
The employment numbers weren’t bad, but there’s one curious story they tell:
Full-time work: -9,000
Part-time work: +63,000
This means that the economy added a lot more part-time positions than full time work. A lot more. This is the reality of economic uncertainty and the future of work. Companies cut budgets, while expecting to leverage AI to optimize what they already have.
The old model: One job. One employer. 40 hours. Benefits. Pension.
The new model: 2-3 income streams. Multiple clients. Flexible hours. You build your own security.
Here's how to make part-time work better than full-time:
Step 1: Stack Smart (Not Just More)
Don't just take any part-time job. Stack roles that either:
Build on each other (e.g., freelance marketing + teaching marketing = credibility loop)
Diversify income risk (e.g., tech contract + hospitality shift = recession-proof)
Create learning arbitrage (e.g., corporate consulting + startup advising = fast skill development)
Example stack:
Remote customer success role (20 hrs/week, $30/hr) = $2,400/month
Weekend hospitality (12 hrs/week, $22/hr) = $1,056/month
Freelance writing (8 hrs/week, $50/hr) = $1,600/month
Total: $5,056/month = $60,672/year (vs. median full-time at $54,000)
Step 2: Demand the Part-Time Premium
Part-time should pay MORE per hour than full-time, not less. Why?
No benefits = you're saving them 20-30% on total compensation
No job security = risk premium
You're likely more productive (no corporate bloat, meetings, politics)
Negotiation framework: Take the full-time equivalent salary, divide by 2,080 hours (52 weeks × 40 hours), then add 25%.
Example: $60,000 FTE salary
Hourly rate: $60,000 ÷ 2,080 = $28.85/hr
Part-time premium: $28.85 × 1.25 = $36/hr minimum
If they balk, you have leverage: "I'm trading job security for your flexibility. The rate reflects that."
Step 3: Target the Right Sectors
Not all part-time work is created equal. These sectors are actually hiring part-time by design right now:
High-leverage part-time (remote-friendly):
Tech support & customer success (always hiring, scales with your availability)
Consulting & fractional roles (finance, marketing, logistics, sales: companies can't afford full-time)
Online education & tutoring (boom market post-2024)
Healthcare (nurses, allied health - desperate for any hours you'll give them)
Avoid:
Gig economy apps (Uber, DoorDash) - race to the bottom on rates
"Exposure" jobs - if they can't pay, they can't scale
Step 4: Hack Benefits & Taxes
Benefits without an employer:
Health insurance: Check if your spouse/partner's plan covers you, or use provincial coverage + private top-up ($150-300/month)
Retirement: Open an RRSP, contribute 10-15% of gross income (you get the tax deduction)
"Sick days": Build a 3-month emergency fund (easier when you have multiple income streams)
Tax strategy:
Incorporate if you're making $100K+ from contract work (accountant pays for itself)
Track EVERYTHING: home office (% of rent/mortgage), internet, phone, courses, tools, mileage
Pay quarterly estimated taxes to avoid year-end surprise
Step 5: Use Part-Time as a Trojan Horse
The dirty secret: Most full-time jobs start as part-time tests.
The pattern:
Company posts part-time role (lower commitment, easier to approve)
You crush it for 3-6 months
They realize they need you full-time
You negotiate from a position of "you already know I deliver"
How to accelerate:
In month 2, start asking: "What would a full-time role here look like?"
Document your wins (revenue impact, time saved, problems solved)
When they're ready to convert, you have leverage: "I have other clients. Here's what it would take to go exclusive."
Boost Bootcamp: 40% off until December 31st
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Be the Coach Clients Can’t Wait to Join
Maxed out training hours for clients? Here’s how to make 2026 the year you grow your business without burning out.
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Take advantage of our free ‘30 Days to Launch: Scale Your Fitness Business Online’ guide that will give you the step-by-step plan to combine in-person and online programs for more income, freedom, and flexibility.
💼 Jobs Highlights
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More jobs:
📍 WSP, one of Canada’s largest engineering consultancy firms has opened hiring for over 20 internships
📍 Axya, a procurement automation platform from Montreal, has roles open in customer support and business development
📍 Darlington, Ontario’s nuclear plant has nearly 30 roles open across engineering, skilled trades, finance.
📍 Passion Fruit, a consultancy for non-profits is looking for Salesforce specialists
📍Shakudo, an AI infrastructure startup from Toronto is hiring for 10+ engineering and sales roles
📍 Float, Canada’s business banking startup has a ton of roles open across every single department