This translation has been automatically generated and has not been verified for accuracy.As hundreds of thousands of Canadians join the ranks of the unemployed amid the continuing COVID-19 epidemic, some companies are seeing increased demand – and hiring accordingly.
Employers fall into three categories, he said: those that have been devastated by the impact of the pandemic and may not survive; those hunkered down on the sidelines, trying to conserve cash with temporary layoffs; and the minority that are growing. Canadians stocked up on so much white and wheat bread last week that Canada Bread reduced production of some items to keep up with demand for its bestsellers. “I don’t know how we compare to the toilet paper numbers, but we were definitely a very, very popular item last week,” said Marie-Eve Royer, senior vice-president of business transformation.
Online job ads have plunged - but not everywhere. Positions still listed on job-posting site Indeed.ca include software developers, security guards, health care aides and personal care workers, said economist Brendan Bernard. Amazon expects to hire another 1,000 workers in Canada at its fulfillment centres and delivery network, while Loblaw Cos. Ltd. set up a site to recruit temporary workers last week, and said it’s received thousands of applications and placed hundreds of people already. The company is hiring store clerks, and pharmacists and pharmacy assistants at its Shoppers Drug Mart stores, in addition to other positions.
The federal government said Friday it will boost wage subsidies for small businesses, though it’s unclear how much they will rehire. Already, nearly one million Canadians applied for employment insurance last week, as retailers, restaurants and many hotels closed their doors and cut employees loose. Ironically, that in itself is creating job opportunities.