Restaurants, bars, and stores have been closing across the nation in the midst of Coronavirus. But the retailers that have remained open – like supermarkets and drugstores – are conducting business as usual, some even amping up hiring efforts.
Amazon ($AMZN) has plans to put laid-off and furloughed people back to work, with the pledge to hire 100,000, or more than double its current job posting level.
Bed Bath & Beyond’s ($BBBY) hiring for Retail and Sales positions has remained around 884 since the start of the month.
Target ($TGT) Sales position openings have gone up by 10, from 1,910 to 1,920, since the start of March. The retailer’s total job openings rose from 9,070 to 9,160.
But according to rumors circulating Twitter, these job opportunities could be replacements for sick employees. “I've been in touch with several @Target employees who say they are coming down with flu-like symptoms, and Target is threatening to fire them if they stay home,” one tweet reads.
Since the end of February, Walgreens' job postings have gone up 6% from 13,200 to 14,000.
As grocery store employees and pharmacists work through tirelessly through a global pandemic, there are bound to be more stories like this that will come to light in the coming weeks.
About the Data:
Thinknum tracks companies using the information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales.
Further Reading:
- Walgreens is ramping up hiring and getting more attention on social as Americans hunker down
- Clorox captivates on social media as US focuses on cleaning products
- Teladoc hiring, app data and social media attention soar in Coronavirus crisis
