Amazon, Safeway Step Up Hiring Amid Coronavirus Crisis

SEATTLE, WA — While the coronavirus outbreak has caused widespread job losses as restaurants in the Seattle area close their doors, other sectors are stepping up hiring due to increased demand caused by the crisis.

Amazon said Monday that it is seeking to hire 100,000 workers across the U.S. to help the company keep up with demand. The Seattle-based online retailer has openings for both full- and part-time positions including delivery drivers and warehouse workers.

“We are seeing a significant increase in demand, which means our labor needs are unprecedented for this time of year,” Dave Clark, who oversees Amazon’s warehouse and delivery network, told the Associated Press.

A surge of orders has forced the retailer to delay some package deliveries. Amazon also said it has sold out of many household cleaning supplies and is working to stock more.

Meanwhile, grocery stores have seen a similar surge in sales, and Seattle-area chains Safeway, Albertsons and QFC have all said they are looking to hire more workers, Q13 reported.

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Still, it's unlikely that these new hires will be enough to offset the flood of layoffs across the service industry, as shuttered restaurants remain uncertain when they will be able to reopen. Seattle and other Puget Sound cities have taken a number of steps, including pausing evictions and utility shutoffs, to soften the blow caused by the downturn.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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