KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Millions of people have lost their jobs in the four months since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Many hope to return to the same job, or at least the same industry, eventually. But that's not an option for everyone.
As part of The Rebound KC, 41 Action News is looking at which industries are still hiring, whether you're looking for a job, or a total career change.
When you order your groceries online, you're actually interacting with up to four different employees on the other end, from the person picking out your stuff to the person who puts it in your car.
“They'll come in and they'll have a customer's order, and they'll start to shop it,” Anna Stoermer, Store Director for the Hy-Vee location in Liberty, Missouri, said. "At this location, I'm looking for just over 50 employees right now."
Grocery stores are one of the top spots to find full-time or part-time jobs right now. Those jobs match up well with the industry that's seen some of the most job losses during the pandemic.
“We've had a lot of people from, let's say the restaurant industry, come and work for us,” Stoermer said. “I think they're surprised how similar it is."
The Kansas Department of Commerce says, along with food and other hospitality, jobs in entertainment and lodging are hard to come by.
Along with grocery stores, food processing, manufacturing and healthcare, are at the top of the list for who is hiring. So is logistics.
“It’s anything from package handling to working with robotics,” Mike Beene, Director of Workforce Services for the Kansas Department of Commerce, said. “It's a wide variety. I think the world thinks of logistics as moving package B from shelf Z to AA, but that's really not logistics anymore."
One other option to consider is child care.
Emmanuel Family and Child Development just opened a new building in Kansas City, Missouri, in May. Even after cutting their capacity by more than half to limit exposure to COVID-19, they have more than 30 job openings.
"A lot of our teachers we're finding are out of work," Deborah Mann, Emmanuel’s Executive Director, said. "We're seeing a lot of people in the background of psychology and sociology. Even with the economy the way it is, schools closed, there are teachers that are still willing to come in, and to work, to support children, and that's what we're seeing."
You can find jobs in all those areas right now on the job board section of KSHB.com, where you can search by job title and location.
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The Rebound Kansas City is our effort is to help metro residents play a role in moving our community forward. We would love to hear your thoughts and ideas to via email to rebound@kshb.com and we welcome you to join in the conversation on the Rebound KC Facebook Group.
Whether you're Getting Back to Work after a layoff, need help Making Ends Meet during these trying times or need tips on Managing the Pressure we're all feeling, The Rebound has resources to find help. We'll also make sure local leaders are Doing What's Right to get Kansas City back track after a three-month shutdown.
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