Image copyright Getty Images Tens of thousands of people have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus crisis as restaurants, bars, hotels and gyms have been forced to close.
But many companies still in business are urgently seeking more staff to meet orders, help with deliveries and just to keep things moving.
The major supermarkets are searching for 35,000 additional workers, but many other firms supplying essential goods or services are also looking for extra help so they can cope with the increased demand.
Home care company Cera has just created 10,000 new jobs for people to work as part of the home carer community.
Meanwhile, chemist chain Lloyds Pharmacy is seeking 1,500 workers across the country in the next few days. And Virgin Media says it needs 500 new people at Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester and Teeside.
Government should help
The government should help by reallocating some workers in sectors that have temporarily shut down to parts of the economy facing labour shortages, reckons think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
It pointed out the coronavirus pandemic has led to sharp falls in labour demand in many corners of the economy, while there are acute labour shortages in other sectors.
To help, the government should remove barriers to taking up temporary jobs, facilitate worker loans between firms and sectors, and subsidise retraining where appropriate, it said.
“There is an urgent need to reallocate some workers,” said Xiaowei Xu, a senior research economist at IFS.
“At a minimum, the government should remove barriers to fill much-needed roles.”
Where are the jobs?
The supermarkets need 35,000 workers
Tesco said last week it is bringing in up to 20,000 new colleagues to work in its stores for at least the next twelve weeks. You can apply here.
Asda said it wanted to recruit more than 5,000 temporary staff from the pool of workers whose jobs have been impacted by the virus. Here is the application site.
Aldi announced it was looking to fill 5,000 new temporary posts and take on 4,000 permanent new workers for jobs in all its stores and distribution centres. Details can be found here.
Morrisons said it would be recruiting about 2,500 pickers and drivers, plus 1,000 staff in its distribution centres. It’s accepting applications here.
Lidl said it would create about 2,500 temporary jobs across its 800 stores in the UK. The jobs site is here.
10,000 jobs at Cera
The home care company is looking for 10,000 people to provide immediate relief and support to the NHS and elderly in isolation.
It said it will provide training and certification for people to begin working as professional carers, noting that workers can start earning income in just 10 days.
The majority of positions will be in the following regions: London, King’s Lynn, Norwich, Stowmarket, Peterborough, Derbyshire, Old Stratford, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Wiltshire, Essex, Kent, and Abercynon.
“These are long-term positions within our company, and we hope this will encourage those recently left without work, or even those currently employed, to consider getting trained and becoming part of this crucial community,” said Horus Patel, chief technical officer of Cera.
Information about roles at Cera can be found here.
1,500 jobs at Lloyds Pharmacy
The chemist chain needs 1,500 temporary and permanent roles filling over the coming days. Vacancies include dispensers, pharmacists, delivery drivers and warehouse staff across its 1,400 branches.
“We know this is a difficult time, with many people struggling with job losses or redundancies, so we hope that this opportunity will provide some hope for those who need it most, as well as helping us to continue providing a first-class healthcare service,” said Toby Anderson, chief executive of Lloyds Pharmacy.
“It’s also an opportunity to contribute to your local community and those that need the help most of all.”
For information on the roles and to apply, click here.
500 jobs at Virgin Media
The phone and internet company is creating 500 new UK contact centre jobs to help keep customers connected during the coronavirus pandemic.
New jobs are being created at locations across the country on both a permanent and fixed-term basis. Roles will be based in Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester and Teeside.
“We’re working day and night to keep the country connected and make sure services are running smoothly,” said Abby Thomas, an executive director at Virgin Media.
“In these difficult times, we’re really proud to soon be welcoming hundreds of new staff to our contact centres who will help us continue to serve our customers.”
People can apply here.
Hundreds of jobs at Moy Park
The poultry giant is searching for hundreds of temporary staff to work at its processing sites across the UK.
The company is looking for people to join its teams across a range of roles in its agriculture and production operations.
“There has been a noticeable increase in grocery sales as people practice social distancing and self-isolate,” said Kirsty Wilkins, Moy Park’s HR and performance director.
“This has resulted in a heightened demand for chicken produce and with it, opportunities in the sector to meet this demand.”
Find out more here.
Looking for workers?
If your company needs workers right now, send us the details of what you need and how to apply, and we’ll add it to the list.
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