Job losses, layoffs, unemployment, furloughs- these are all the words we have been seeing in the past few weeks. As the US economy seems geared to head into a recession, people are naturally anxious about the future of their employment. In this scenario, are there any careers available despite coronavirus? Is anyone hiring?
The good news is that yes, there are several new jobs coming up even now, some in response to the coronavirus-situation. The bad news is that some of them may require specialized skills. But, don’t let that stop you from applying to the jobs we list below.
Coronavirus: Careers To Look At Now
There are some companies whose business model is letting them survive the ‘new normal’. They have scaled up hiring to meet the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic.
E-Commerce and Retailers
The global e-commerce giant, Amazon, said on March 21 in an Instagram statement that it is looking to hire about 100,000 new employees. It needs more delivery agents, warehousing staff and people to man its brick-and-mortar ventures.
Similarly, Walmart announced plans to hire over 150,000 workers on an hourly basis to fulfill their warehousing and store requirements.
Grocery chains and supermarkets like CVS, 7-Eleven, etc. are also hiring for various roles including stocking shelves, etc. Grocery delivery service Instacart is looking for gig workers and personal shoppers. Demand for home delivery has jumped in several states.
Meal delivery services have also experienced an upsurge in demand and are looking to increase staff. Papa John’s, Pizza Hut, etc. continue to have good demand. Big FMCG companies like Pepsico are also hiring since they continue to produce packaged food.
HealthCare
Healthcare is obviously one of the most important sectors right now. Protective equipment manufacturers, hospitals, etc are looking to hire doctors, nursing staff, medical assistants, etc. Job search portals are teeming with healthcare job postings.
State Labor Departments
The Labor Departments of most of the states are in the process of hiring people to help process the massive surge in unemployment insurance applications. New York and Michigan have already begun. Some states are even calling upon retired employees to help process the common complaints of people unable to access their accounts.
Gaming
Some gaming companies are hiring now and with people looking to kill time at home, the sector is slated to grow. Popular gaming platforms and services such as Steam and Xbox have reported a huge rise in the number of users.
Technology Sector
Some of the world’s biggest companies operate within this sector like Google, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, etc.. Zoom has just exploded because of the massive adoption of teleconferencing for remote working jobs; as companies that are so far surviving have told employees to work from home. They conduct interviews online.
EdTech provider OutSchool is hiring teachers for its K-12 programs.
Sectors Bearing The Brunt Of Coronaviral Recession
The forced shutdowns have affected the following employers very badly:
- Restaurants, Bars, Pubs
- Small brick and mortar grocers
- Cab Drivers
- Shopping Malls
- Airlines
- Event Managers
- Sitters, Petwalkers, etc.
- Automotive companies and oil companies
- Hotels, Inns, etc.
- Big fashion companies like Macy’s, JCPenney, Victoria’s Secret, etc.
Concerns With The Unemployment Scene: Food For Thought
Since the economic situation is deeply unpredictable now, speculation is rife about how people losing their jobs will settle into the new normal. The nature of the new normal is itself unclear.
One problem with the newly available jobs is of course that they may not be accessible to many groups of job-seekers due to location constraints or unsuitability. People with disabilities will have a tougher time.
Another concern is the temporary and low-skilled nature of some of these coronavirus careers. The initial boom brought on by the extreme situation may fade once the pandemic fades, laying off many such employees.
There is also a dearth of jobs for white-collar workers with many years of experience. If more companies go bankrupt, they too will form a large part of the unemployed. They may also experience more ageism than ever before.
On a healthcare-related note, people are desperately rushing to job fairs for non-online recruitment processes, not following distancing precautions. This may prolong the pandemic.
In these desperate times, any measures that sustain the economy are welcome. As people look to earn square meals, any jobs are welcome to many workers. It’s hard to see a bright side to the scary numbers coming out every day, but any economic change creates certain opportunities while damaging others.
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