In just a few short weeks, millions of people across the United States have lost their jobs. The COVID-19 pandemic has crippled the global economy. Several industries such as the airlines and travel are struggling. But there are a number of companies hiring new workers in large numbers even during these challenging times. Here we take a look at the top ten companies hiring the most number of new workers.
In a letter to the US House and Senate, the chief executives of nearly a dozen airlines and cargo companies said they would be forced to lay off up to 750,000 people if they didn’t immediately receive multi-billion-dollar payroll grants. According to the Federal Reserve of St. Louis, jobless claims in the US could go as high as 47 million in the next few months as people are encouraged to stay home.
These companies are hiring large numbers of new workers
Pharmaceutical companies, retailers, and healthcare providers are hiring in large numbers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The LinkedIn job posting data for March 15-21 period in the US suggests that there are still a number of job opportunities if you have just lost your job or want to switch careers.
The ranking below is based on LinkedIn’s job posting data. These ten companies are hiring the most new workers:
- 7-Eleven
- Army National Guard
- KPMG
- Amazon
- Genentech
- Lowe’s
- HCA Healthcare
- Intuit
- Nepris
- Whole Foods
Consumers have been aggressively stocking up food and household goods. Retail chains such as 7-Eleven, Whole Foods and Lowe’s have stepped up hiring to deal with the rising demand. HCA Healthcare is adding more members to its team to combat the coronavirus pandemic. As of March 30, there were 164,345 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 3,171 deaths in the US.
Biotech giant Genentech has started a Phase-3 clinical trial of its arthritis drug Actemra (tocilizumab) as a treatment for COVID-19 in severe cases. Genentech told ValueWalk that its hiring is related to the launch of a “new customer-engagement approach that will transform the way we serve patients, physicians, providers, payors and pharmacies across the country.”
The Army National Guard is a surprising name on the list. The National Guard has deployed more than 10,000 members across the country to ensure that doctors, nurses, and others on the front-line are equipped with protective gear, food, and essential supplies. But more help is needed as the number of cases continues to rise.
Intuit and KPMG are aggressively hiring tax professionals. People sitting in their homes certainly have to do their taxes, even though the IRS has postponed the tax deadline to July. Nepris is a cloud-based e-learning platform that connects students and teachers with the right industry experts. It allows students to learn from industry experts even without leaving the classroom.
Is Amazon doing enough?
E-commerce giant Amazon’s business is doing particularly well amid the coronavirus pandemic. Many have criticized Amazon for not doing enough to protect its employees from COVID-19. Workers at Amazon’s New York warehouse have gone on strike. Engineers have urged the company to provide paid leaves to all workers.
Leaked emails obtained by Business Insider suggest that despite the coronavirus pandemic, Amazon is preparing for its annual Prime Day sale in July. The online retailer has informed third-party sellers to ship their Prime Day inventory to its fulfillment centers by the end of May. However, Amazon hasn’t officially confirmed this year’s Prime Day yet.
Amazon has seen a massive surge in orders as customers are ordering essential supplies and other items. The company has announced that it’s hiring 100,000 workers to handle the increased supply. Amazon has also hiked the salary of its warehouse employees by $2 per hour. Employees in the delivery network working longer than 40 hours a week will get double the hourly pay for overtime.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said in an Instagram post that he spoke with the World Health Organization’s Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus about how the company could help contain the spread of COVID-19.
The WHO Director General said Amazon could help by supporting the response fund, bolstering the WHO website, improving the availability of test kits, and strengthening the supply chain of protective gear for health workers. Bezos said Amazon Web Service could also help the WHO in data analytics and tracking the epidemiological trends.
