Grocery giant Jewel-Osco wants to hire thousands of workers as demand for food and supplies picks up over coronavirus fears.
The company says it has more than 3,000 immediate job openings. The openings include part-time in-store employees, delivery drivers and personal shoppers in its e-commerce department.
While many other businesses scale down their operations or close altogether, grocery stores and pharmacies remain essential parts of life during the Coronavirus. In its Household Plan section, the CDC says to consider having a two-week supply of prescription and over the counter medications, food and other essentials.
In the last two weeks, images of empty store shelves and long lines at grocery and wholesale stores have become common. In a message on its website, Jewel-Osco says it is working very hard to maintain in-stock conditions of customers' favorite items.
Jewel-Osco is advertising benefits for some of its open positions, including paid training, flexible scheduling, an employee discount and paid vacation. The openings could provide a lifeline for people forced out of work because of the virus. Illinois restaurants closed to dine-in customers Monday night.
The Itasca-based company has 188 stores in the Chicago area, Indiana and Iowa. People can apply for the positions at www.jewelosco.com/careers.
