Coronavirus Latest: While Some Businesses Are Closing, Others Need More Workers
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The coronavirus pandemic has forced many businesses to shut down, impacting millions of workers nationwide, but a handful of companies are hoping to ramp up their workforces in order to keep up with the demand for their services.
"We could really just use all the help we can get," said Hollie Becker, the director of talent acquisition for Sprouts Farmers Market.
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Grocery stores, food delivery companies and online retailers are surging as people across the country hunker down during the global coronavirus pandemic.
"It's certainly not an easy task; it's something that we're busting a lot of hours into just to keep the shelves stocked and our distribution center's warehouses are working a lot of extra hours," Becker said.
This comes as millions have either lost their jobs or seen their paychecks shrink drastically over the past week as companies shut down or cut back their operations.
Sprouts is hiring for more than 200 positions in the greater Baltimore area, and they're not alone: retail giants like Amazon and Walmart are hiring tens of thousands nationwide.
Amazon said it plans to hire nearly 100,000 workers to assist with online deliveries across the country, while Walmart is hiring around 150,000 workers and Dollar General is also hiring.
Even local businesses like H&S Bakery are hiring; the bakery is looking for upwards of 50 employees across their five Baltimore area locations.
Imperfect Foods is hiring operation associates and delivery drivers in Baltimore to account for the surge in demand in grocery delivery, and Safeway is hiring 1,000 workers in the DMV and Delaware area.
Still, the rapid rise in hiring faces some challenges at a time when health officials are urging the public to practice social distancing. That's why, on top of following the CDC's guidelines, Sprouts is making sure customers' and employees' health remains paramount.
"Keeping the store clean, social distancing, following guidelines around that, and we've also set up a hotline—a wellness response team," Becker said.
For a list of companies that are hiring, click here.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.