I am thinking of doing freelance web development for money, but also at the same time I'm not really sure about it because, why would they hire me, a human in a high-cost (high cost of living but I don't even think it looks like a 1st world country anymore and the conditions only seem to be getting worse) country rather than use AI to do most of the work for either cheaper or for free or hire someone in a low-wage/low-cost country like India or Pakistan?

I mean, I've even noticed that most of my "local" businesses are doing something similar - instead of hiring local people, they literally go out of their way to hire immigrants (to the point where the locals feel like they have no chance of getting a job, especially Gen Z), just simply because the government has made it cheaper for companies to hire these immigrants instead of the locals. I don't think they even care about the fact that ever since they started doing this, their quality of service has gone down. Nothing against these immigrants themselves, but I'm just saying.

I am thinking of doing freelance web development for money, but also at the same time I'm not really sure about it because, why would they hire me, a human in a high-cost (high cost of living but I don't even think it looks like a 1st world country anymore and the conditions only seem to be getting worse) country rather than use AI to do most of the work for either cheaper or for free or hire someone in a low-wage/low-cost country like India or Pakistan?

I mean, I've even noticed that most of my "local" businesses are doing something similar - instead of hiring local people, they literally go out of their way to hire immigrants (to the point where the locals feel like they have no chance of getting a job, especially Gen Z), just simply because the government has made it cheaper for companies to hire these immigrants instead of the locals. I don't think they even care about the fact that ever since they started doing this, their quality of service has gone down. Nothing against these immigrants themselves, but I'm just saying.

I have a flip phone that I prefer to keep it always off with the battery removed - due to privacy reasons. I also have a text-only VOIP number (couldn't find a service that accepted Monero and had calling functionality) and an email.

I've been looking for jobs and I've put my VOIP number (mentioning that it's text-only) and my email on my resume. However, I didn't put my flip phone's phone number on it. So, I've just been wondering, is this really going to affect my chances of getting an job?

Right now, I am currently in the process of hunting for jobs (mostly minimum wage though). I am currently trying to write as many cover letters and resumes as I can, and I'm planning to go out on January 2nd to apply to as many positions as I can both in-person and online (if that's allowed).

How many resumes/cover letters do you think I'll need in order to actually get an interview and a job?

So far, I only have around 15 resumes/cover letters, but I try to tailor them.

Am I also legally allowed to apply both online and in-person to the same job position at about the same time in Ontario, Canada?