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Some Retailers Are Struggling to Find Workers During Outbreak
March 24, 2020
As businesses shut down in an effort to halt the coronavirus’s spread, the nation is bracing for a massive spike in unemployment. However, some companies are scrambling to hire more workers.
With stores closing, online retailers are struggling to keep up with demand. Walmart is looking to hire 150,000 new workers for its e-commerce warehouses, temporarily rating wages from $15 to $19 per hour to attract workers. Amazon is similarly looking to add 100,000 new workers to its warehouse labor force, and is raising pay by $2 per hour through April.
The new hiring will do little to balance the layoffs caused by the virus, which some economists estimate could reach as high as 2 million workers looking for unemployment benefits.