Unemployment claims in Pennsylvania are skyrocketing as workers who have been laid off due to the novel coronavirus outbreak and its resulting closures seek compensation.
Many industries are getting rocked by the epidemic, but several businesses, particularly those involved in the food and delivery industries, are scrambling to hire employees to keep up with demand.
Just across the bridge in New Jersey, Misfits Market is planning to hire 100 new people for its Pennsauken warehouse and may end up bringing even more people on board, founder and CEO Abhi Ramesh said.
The company ships organic produce, some of which is misshapen and would sometimes be discarded by traditional retailers, to subscribers’ doors at a discount. It serves 24 states.
People have been flocking to order food, probably in an attempt to avoid the empty shelves and long lines that have plagued some area supermarkets.
“We started to see a spike in volume a few weeks ago,” Ramesh said. “Now, it’s pretty pronounced. There’s a huge influx of customers.
Warehouse workers just starting on the job will be paid $16 an hour, up from $13, the company said. Ramesh said Misfits wanted to recognize its employees, who he said on the frontlines of this crisis.
Ramesh predicts his firm will be able to retain the new hires once COVID-19 is contained, even though the company’s workforce is growing by nearly 40 percent. Grocery e-commerce is a growing industry, he said.
In the meantime, Misfits is still hiring to keep up with orders.
“We’ve received a massive amount of applications,” Ramesh said. “Our HR and recruiting team has been kind of inundated, and they’re conducting essentially rapid-fire interviews throughout the course of the week.”
Those interested in applying should visit misfitsmarket.com.
Domino’s, meanwhile, is looking to hire 700 people in Philadelphia and the surrounding area. The pizza chain, which operates 142 stores in the region, is offering contactless delivery and take-out.
“Stores across this area are continuing to provide pizza to those who are looking for a delicious, hot meal, and at times like this, staffing is critical,” said Salim Joarder, a Domino’s franchisee who runs dozens of stores in Philadelphia and South Jersey, in a statement.
Open positions include delivery drivers, customer service representatives, assistant managers and managers. Pay varies by title and store, a Domino’s spokeswoman said.
Interested applicants can apply through jobs.dominos.com.
7-Eleven is hiring a total of more than 20,000 employees across all its stores to keep up with online orders and sanitizing, and Amazon is attempting to bring on 100,000 workers in the United States while boosting pay by $2 an hour.
Other employers hiring in Philadelphia include Acme Markets, Aldi, ConnectRN, CVS, Fresh Grocer, Giant/Heirloom, GoPuff, Mom’s Organic Markets, Save-A-Lot, Shoprite, Sprouts Farmers Markets, Walgreens and Walmart, according to a site set up by City Council.
That page, which is updated regularly, can be accessed at phlcouncil.com/covid-19-hiring.
