Reopening U.S. Economy Will Mean Creating All Kinds of New
Jobs
Jobs
Thermal scanners, cart wipers and contact screeners may put
a small dent in unemployment.
a small dent in unemployment.
By Jeff Green and Steve Matthews
Meet the people needed to keep the post-Covid economy
running.
running.
In the wake of a pandemic that’s put millions of Americans
out of work, a new crop of jobs is emerging. Companies racing to get back to
business are creating roles to keep
employees and customers safe from a highly contagious virus -- positions
that may become even more in demand the longer time passes without a vaccine or
treatment.
out of work, a new crop of jobs is emerging. Companies racing to get back to
business are creating roles to keep
employees and customers safe from a highly contagious virus -- positions
that may become even more in demand the longer time passes without a vaccine or
treatment.
“There is going to be this constant experimentation with new
ways of doing certain kinds of jobs,” said Guy Berger, the principal economist
at job networking site LinkedIn.
ways of doing certain kinds of jobs,” said Guy Berger, the principal economist
at job networking site LinkedIn.
These roles, of varied levels and pay grades, are unlikely
to significantly offset the more than 36 million jobs that were idled in U.S.
lockdowns. Still, as many furloughed employees begin to return to offices and
job sites, they will encounter new coworkers with responsibilities
inconceivable before the outbreak.
to significantly offset the more than 36 million jobs that were idled in U.S.
lockdowns. Still, as many furloughed employees begin to return to offices and
job sites, they will encounter new coworkers with responsibilities
inconceivable before the outbreak.
Nearly every industry is looking for new types of workers to
prevent the virus’s spread, said Jeffrey Burnett, chief executive officer of
Labor Finders, which connects industrial employers with hourly workers. He’s
seeing demand for jobs such as social-distancing monitors at construction
sites, entrance watchers at nursing homes and plexiglass installers for
offices.
prevent the virus’s spread, said Jeffrey Burnett, chief executive officer of
Labor Finders, which connects industrial employers with hourly workers. He’s
seeing demand for jobs such as social-distancing monitors at construction
sites, entrance watchers at nursing homes and plexiglass installers for
offices.
Large companies are evaluating ways to return to work that
may bring in new jobs or reposition old ones. Amazon.com Inc., for instance,
plans to check the temperatures of
staff and visitors to its offices when they reopen, and is hiring lab workers
for its own virus tests. JPMorgan Chase & Co. is considering adding elevator attendants to prevent too many
people from pushing buttons, people familiar with the matter said last month.
McDonald’s Corp.’s guide for its restaurants includes having an attendant manning self-serve drink
stations that are open during peak hours.
may bring in new jobs or reposition old ones. Amazon.com Inc., for instance,
plans to check the temperatures of
staff and visitors to its offices when they reopen, and is hiring lab workers
for its own virus tests. JPMorgan Chase & Co. is considering adding elevator attendants to prevent too many
people from pushing buttons, people familiar with the matter said last month.
McDonald’s Corp.’s guide for its restaurants includes having an attendant manning self-serve drink
stations that are open during peak hours.
“There’s going to be some behavioral shifts, but there are
also going to be some skillset shifts, and we’re already starting to see that,”
said Debra Thorpe, senior vice president and general manager for Americas
operations at staffing company Kelly Services.
also going to be some skillset shifts, and we’re already starting to see that,”
said Debra Thorpe, senior vice president and general manager for Americas
operations at staffing company Kelly Services.
Thermal scanners -- temperature takers -- are already among
the more common roles needed, Thorpe said. Her company has placed hundreds of
those jobs at workplaces that stayed open during the shutdown and anticipates
thousands more once people return to offices.
the more common roles needed, Thorpe said. Her company has placed hundreds of
those jobs at workplaces that stayed open during the shutdown and anticipates
thousands more once people return to offices.
One of those taking a job was Mark Scofield, 67, who screens workers entering a large retail
distribution site in North Salt Lake, Utah. The retired Air Force special agent
works 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., making $20 an hour. Even though his age could make him
vulnerable to Covid-19, the 6-foot, 6-inch former military investigator says
he’s not worried because “I haven’t been sick in years.”
distribution site in North Salt Lake, Utah. The retired Air Force special agent
works 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., making $20 an hour. Even though his age could make him
vulnerable to Covid-19, the 6-foot, 6-inch former military investigator says
he’s not worried because “I haven’t been sick in years.”
In Urbana, Maryland, Simone Williams starts each weekday at
5:30 a.m. in a small trailer helping screen
about 100 construction workers for signs of the virus. She checks their
temperature with a thermal scanner and asks questions about their health before
clearing them to enter. About halfway through her five-hour shift, she patrols the site to ensure that people are
wearing masks and maintaining distance requirements.
5:30 a.m. in a small trailer helping screen
about 100 construction workers for signs of the virus. She checks their
temperature with a thermal scanner and asks questions about their health before
clearing them to enter. About halfway through her five-hour shift, she patrols the site to ensure that people are
wearing masks and maintaining distance requirements.
The role pays $20 an hour for 25 hours a week -- more than
Williams makes in her other job as an employment coach at a nonprofit for
people in mental-health recovery. So far, she hasn’t encountered any workers
with a fever.
Williams makes in her other job as an employment coach at a nonprofit for
people in mental-health recovery. So far, she hasn’t encountered any workers
with a fever.
“I’m a people person and I’m comfortable interacting with
them,” said Williams, 23. “But then when I’m telling people what I do, that
kind of makes me nervous.”
them,” said Williams, 23. “But then when I’m telling people what I do, that
kind of makes me nervous.”
Another key area is
contract tracing, which could create as many as 250,000 jobs in the U.S.,
said Dante DeAntonio, a labor market economist with Moody’s Analytics. His
estimate is based in part on the ratio of 81 tracers per 100,000 residents
utilized in Wuhan, China, where the outbreak started.
contract tracing, which could create as many as 250,000 jobs in the U.S.,
said Dante DeAntonio, a labor market economist with Moody’s Analytics. His
estimate is based in part on the ratio of 81 tracers per 100,000 residents
utilized in Wuhan, China, where the outbreak started.
Lisa Fagundes, who was furloughed from her job as a
librarian in San Francisco, took a 20-hour-a-week position as a contact tracer
for the city this month. She completed a week of virtual training before she
started the job, which involves tracking down everyone who has been in contact
with a Covid-19 patient and alerting them they need to self-isolate.
librarian in San Francisco, took a 20-hour-a-week position as a contact tracer
for the city this month. She completed a week of virtual training before she
started the job, which involves tracking down everyone who has been in contact
with a Covid-19 patient and alerting them they need to self-isolate.
It is a “really similar” job to being a librarian, in that
she’s talking with people, said Fagundes, 42. But it’s often tough telling
people they have been exposed to someone with the virus, she said.
she’s talking with people, said Fagundes, 42. But it’s often tough telling
people they have been exposed to someone with the virus, she said.
Retailers that have been open throughout the lockdowns have
already shifted workers to positions like cart
wipers, door monitors and ensuring customer compliance with social distancing measures. That type of hiring is
poised to accelerate, said Mathieu Stevenson, CEO of Snagajob, which helps
almost half a million companies find hourly workers for open jobs.
already shifted workers to positions like cart
wipers, door monitors and ensuring customer compliance with social distancing measures. That type of hiring is
poised to accelerate, said Mathieu Stevenson, CEO of Snagajob, which helps
almost half a million companies find hourly workers for open jobs.
“Phase one was largely re-purposing existing staff,”
Stevenson said. “Now as we are starting to see, as people have adjusted to the
next normal, there is a dedicated ‘cart sanitizer.’ That is a distinct role
they are hiring for.”
Stevenson said. “Now as we are starting to see, as people have adjusted to the
next normal, there is a dedicated ‘cart sanitizer.’ That is a distinct role
they are hiring for.”
Coyle Hospitality Group -- whose typical business is
employing independent contractors known as mystery shoppers to rate customer
service -- now plans to hire several thousand “social distancing ambassadors” over the next few months, said
President Jim Coyle. Those workers will visit businesses such as hotels and
restaurants to review standards for safety measures such as distancing and
wearing masks and gloves.
employing independent contractors known as mystery shoppers to rate customer
service -- now plans to hire several thousand “social distancing ambassadors” over the next few months, said
President Jim Coyle. Those workers will visit businesses such as hotels and
restaurants to review standards for safety measures such as distancing and
wearing masks and gloves.
Even though there are millions of unemployed Americans, it’s
not always easy to fill the roles created by the pandemic, said Patrick
Beharelle, CEO of TrueBlue Inc., which helps place 700,000 workers a year. The
$600 a week in supplemental unemployment from the U.S. government, combined
with state unemployment, is often more than the workers can make in one of the
new jobs, he said. Meanwhile, the positions have their own virus risks.
not always easy to fill the roles created by the pandemic, said Patrick
Beharelle, CEO of TrueBlue Inc., which helps place 700,000 workers a year. The
$600 a week in supplemental unemployment from the U.S. government, combined
with state unemployment, is often more than the workers can make in one of the
new jobs, he said. Meanwhile, the positions have their own virus risks.
“The tailwind is you’ve got 30 million people who are
unemployed right now, and many of those folks are coming forward and saying
they’d like to keep busy,” he said. “And there is a group that’s raising their
hand and saying ‘No, I think I’m going to stay home until this blows over
more.’”
unemployed right now, and many of those folks are coming forward and saying
they’d like to keep busy,” he said. “And there is a group that’s raising their
hand and saying ‘No, I think I’m going to stay home until this blows over
more.’”
Still, there’s opportunity for short-term gigs at
organizations like Battelle, a Columbus, Ohio-based nonprofit that has a
six-month contract with the U.S. government to decontaminate N95 masks. It has said it may hire as many as 1,300
workers at 60 sites around the country.
organizations like Battelle, a Columbus, Ohio-based nonprofit that has a
six-month contract with the U.S. government to decontaminate N95 masks. It has said it may hire as many as 1,300
workers at 60 sites around the country.
Megan Stein, 18, is working at the Miami location before
attending college in the fall. She’s on the job midnight to noon, seven days a
week, in three-week stretches, decontaminating masks in a chamber with a hydrogen
peroxide solution.
attending college in the fall. She’s on the job midnight to noon, seven days a
week, in three-week stretches, decontaminating masks in a chamber with a hydrogen
peroxide solution.
“The idea of me going and cleaning masks that could possibly
have been in contact with Covid patients, when you are first hearing of that,
it’s not an easy feeling,” said Stein, whose father works at Battelle in a
different role. But her friends and family are “really supportive of me and
just proud of what I’m doing.”
have been in contact with Covid patients, when you are first hearing of that,
it’s not an easy feeling,” said Stein, whose father works at Battelle in a
different role. But her friends and family are “really supportive of me and
just proud of what I’m doing.”
— With assistance by Leslie Patton, Priya Anand, and
Michelle F Davis
Michelle F Davis
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