It’s an extremely challenging time for so many of us when it comes to earning a living.
Though some of us are lucky enough to be able to work from home or have been furloughed by employers, the impact of the Coronavirus has been devastating for millions of workers.
The Institute for Employment Studies has reported that up to two million people have already lost their jobs in what is the biggest blow to British employment on record.
During a time when we’re supposed to stay home, those who have suddenly found themselves out of work or who were already unemployed may well be feeling like they have unsurmountable challenges ahead.
If you’re out of work at the moment though then it’s important to know that you still have options to explore.
Whilst some industries, such as hospitality and non-essential retail, are undoubtedly struggling, other industries are experiencing unprecedented surges in demand.
They’re crying out for new members of staff to help them to continue to serve their customers and communities, and many of them are accepting applications right now.
So which industries are offering such opportunities? And which specific businesses can you apply to?
Which industries are hiring right now?
First of all, let’s take a look at the specific industries which are seeing bigger demands for staff.
Commercial property experts Savoy Stewart monitored the number of new job vacancies being posted to recruitment site Indeed following the announcement of lockdown restrictions, and in just three days, a whopping 31,387 roles were added.
These included:
- 5,252 jobs in customer service
- 4,369 nursing roles
- 2,838 transport jobs
- 2,744 warehouse assistants
- 1,728 administrators
- 1,724 cleaning positions
- 1,508 delivery drivers
- 1,375 childcare workers
- 969 teaching jobs
- 780 doctors
- 531 shop pickers
- 506 network engineers
- 333 finance assistants
- 303 receptionists
Savoy Stewart commented, “Interestingly, many of the jobs that are in demand right now don’t need a university degree, or a specific qualification; these positions with a huge number of new listings include customer service, administration, cleaners and delivery drivers”.
Let’s dive into some of the specific businesses which are actively recruiting right now….
Supermarkets
Last month, thousands of people took up temporary roles at all the UK’s major supermarkets to help deal with surging demands.
Many of these positions have now been filled, but stores are still having to work hard to keep the shelves filled and ensure that their operations are in line with social distancing guidelines.
As such, there are still plenty of stores taking on new staff in temporary and full-time roles.
To find vacancies in your area, visit Tesco Careers, Sainsbury’s Jobs, Morrisons Jobs, Asda Careers, M&S Careers, Aldi Recruitment, and Lidl Careers.
Fruit picking farms
As we enter prime fruit picking season, farmers across the country are looking for help to ensure that no crops are wasted.
Industry body British Summer Fruits has created an extremely handy interactive map that shows you exactly where vacancies are currently available, including roles such as fruit pickers and packers, plant husbandry, and forklift drivers.
Royal Mail
Royal Mail have made the decision to pause recruitment for many of its permanent roles, though it is offering a range of temporary opportunities supporting operational colleagues in delivery offices and sorting centres.
You can browse and apply for all available vacancies via their online portal.
Care firms
Visiting Angels provides at-home care, and is recruiting across all their office locations including Sheffield, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, and London.
Similarly, home care agency Caremark operates throughout the UK and is currently taking on 2,000 people to provide care for elderly and vulnerable people.
Cera is another home care company recruiting right now, with positions available in London, King’s Lynn, Norwich, Stowmarket, Peterborough, Derbyshire, Old Stratford, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Wiltshire, Essex, Kent, and Abercynon.
Orchard Care Homes, which runs homes across the North of England and the Midlands, has 500 positions available for carers, nurses, chefs, cleaners and laundry assistants.
Bluebird Care is another company offering hundreds of jobs across the country.
If you’re in Wales, Orbis Education and Care needs 150 carers and support workers in Cardiff, Newport, Barry, Port Talbot, Swansea, Presteigne, Brecon, Tewkesbury, and Porth.
In Yorkshire and Cheshire, Carefound are recruiting hourly visiting carers and live-in carers.
Many of these roles come with full training, so prior experience is not always necessary.
It’s also worth seeking out care home agencies specific to your local area to see if they have any jobs available right now.
Delivery companies
Yodel is recruiting self-employed delivery drivers and service delivery partners up and down the country right now, with more than a hundred available vacancies.
Unsurprisingly, Amazon is extremely busy at the moment and is advertising 1,284 jobs in the UK.
Lloyds Pharmacy
With Coronavirus massively increasing the demand for pharmacy products and services, Lloyds Pharmacy is urgently recruiting thousands of new members of staff.
Roles include drivers, warehouse workers, and qualified pharmacists, and you can search and apply for vacancies through their parent company McKesson.
Virgin Media
Virgin Media is recruiting 500 call centre staff to help take the strain off the company’s offshore call centres in locations such as India.
The jobs will be based at call centres in Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, and Teeside.
Abby Thomas, an executive director at Virgin Media, commented, “We’re working day and night to keep the country connected and make sure services are running smoothly. In these difficult times, we’re really proud to soon be welcoming hundreds of new staff to our contact centres who will help us continue to serve our customers.”
Bargain Booze
Bargain Booze’s parent company Bestway Retail operates over 800 stores in the UK, and many of them are recruiting staff to handle increased demand.
Search their careers site for opportunities in your area.
Dairy companies
Müller is recruiting up to 300 people nationwide, including delivery drivers, dairy technicians, factory operators, packaging operatives, and garage mechanics.
Milk And More is looking for 100 extra milkmen or women. You must have a full UK driving licence and be happy to work nightshifts.
If you happen to be local to Somerset, Yeo Valley needs operators, loaders, packers and palletisers.
Moy Park
Poultry giant Moy Park is recruiting hundreds of temporary staff at their processing sites across the UK.
A range of positions are available in their agriculture and production operations.
Domino’s Pizza
Domino’s has announced plans to recruit 6,000 new workers including delivery drivers and operational managers. Search their jobs portal for your postcode to see what’s available in your area.
Of course, many smaller local takeaway businesses that are able to remain open are also experiencing unprecedented demand and are looking to recruit more staff to help them to continue to serve their communities.
Do you know of more UK companies hiring during the Coronavirus crisis?
This list will be updated with more opportunities as they become available. If you know of more businesses which are currently recruiting, do leave a comment and share the details.
Leave a Reply