While the spread of the coronavirus has caused millions of layoffs across the country, select businesses are on a hiring spree to meet increased demand related to the outbreak.
These employers tend to fall under the “essential” grocery and logistics industries that are keeping people fed and supplied amid increasingly expansive quarantine orders.
Walmart, for instance, said it plans to hire 150,000 additional employees by the end of May. The retailer also told investors last week that sales have remained steady through the outbreak.
Dollar General said it will hire 50,000 new employees by the end of April. In a move that a number of hiring companies have echoed, the discount chain has promoted its job opportunities as potential relief for workers impacted by the coronavirus.
“For any individual whose job has been temporarily impacted by the effect of COVID-19, we currently have a number of full and part time positions available across our stores, distribution centers and private fleet network,” the company said in a press release.
Another discount chain Save A Lot said it’s hiring 1,000 workers across its national footprint due to “unprecedented levels of business and demand.” The grocer is speeding up the hiring process as well by offering hired workers the chance to start the same day or the next.
CVS Health said it has committed to “immediately fill” 50,000 part-time, full-time and temporary positions across the country. The pharmacy is also offering bonuses to existing employees, paid sick leave for part-time employees, and expanded child care options.
Amazon’s hiring plans leaked to the press ahead of its latest wave of hiring announcements. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the e-commerce giant plans to hire 100,000 new warehouse and delivery workers and to raise the pay for those positions across the board.
Companies delivering prepared food are also banking on continued demand, as many have been dubbed “essential” under shelter-in-place orders across the country.
Domino’s has announced plans to hire 10,000 part-time and full-time workers, including delivery drivers, pizza cookers and managers. The pizza chain has also touted its hiring spree as a potential option for recently laid-off restaurant industry workers.
"Our corporate and franchise stores want to make sure they're not only feeding people, but also providing opportunity to those looking for work at this time, especially those in the heavily-impacted restaurant industry," CEO Ritch Allison said in a statement.
Convenience stores, likewise, anticipate a role for themselves during the crisis.
7-Eleven says it plans to hire 20,000 new employees, the majority of which will work for 7NOW, an on-demand delivery app.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
Tesla, the car company run by Elon Musk, reported Wednesday that it sold more vehicles in the past three months after boycotts hit hard earlier this year, but profits still fell sharply. Third-quarter earnings fell to $1.4 billion, from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Excluding charges, per share profit of 50 cents came in below analysts' estimate. Tesla shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading. Musk said the company's robotaxi service, which is available in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, will roll out to as many as 10 other metro areas by the end of the year.
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