Many companies that provide “essential” services are hiring as layoffs surge amid the coronavirus outbreak that has stifled the U.S. economy.
Walmart, Domino’s Pizza, Kroger, Dollar General and Amazon highlight the list of businesses with thousands of open positions that don’t require any prior experience.
The companies are seeing a surge in sales normally only seen around the holiday peak, The Dallas Morning News reported, and as a result have a bonanza of openings in sales, distribution and delivery.
Feeding the demand are panicked Americans stocking up on items such as household cleaning products and toilet paper, which has overwhelmed stores and warehouses, according to Business Insider.
Walmart is hiring 150,000 temporary workers who will largely be stationed in the company’s distribution centers. Those jobs could become permanent over time, Walmart said in a statement. The company is also paying close to $550 million in bonuses as a “mini-stimulus” for its employees, according to reports.
Beyond that, Walgreens is hiring 9,500.
Domino’s said it plans to hire 10,000 workers as the demand for food delivery and takeout see a dramatic increase.
Dollar Tree announced that it would hire 25,000 employees at its Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores and distribution centers around the country.
Kroger has openings at its retail stores, factories and distribution centers across the country.
Florida-based 7‑Eleven announced Friday that it plans to hire 20,000 employees in the coming months, according to PRNewswire.
Others hiring include Costco, Albertson’s and Aldi grocery stores.
Winners and losers
The Financial Times reported that “tech companies are still hiring feverishly as they move to take advantage of a world shifting increasingly to digital as a result of the coronavirus, despite mass lay-offs elsewhere and growing concerns over plummeting global markets.”
That assessment was evidenced by the world’s biggest online retailer Amazon, which is planning to hire 100,000 workers due to the growth of online shopping amid the outbreak.
But department stores, malls and retailers are on the losing end of the new normal, as shoppers and employees are increasingly under orders to stay home to slow the spread of the virus.
Some 18% of American adults reported being laid off or that work hours had been slashed, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Big retailers, such as Macy's, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman, have announced they are closing stores, Forbes reported.
Millions of Americans in the hospitality industry are newly laid off as bars, restaurants, travel and tourism businesses and hotels have been closed. Adding to this is the shutdown of the American auto industry and entertainment and sporting events, where food vendors and stadium workers carve out a living.
An estimated 3 million of these jobs will be eliminated by this summer, Business Insider reported, citing the Economic Policy Institute.
Believe it or not, there will be some winners in this economic downturn, including online companies that do not rely upon brick-and-mortar locations, health care providers, supermarket chains, pharmaceutical companies, technology companies and services, such as Zoom, that cater to people working from home, according to Forbes Magazine.
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