Kroger announced on Friday that it recently hired more than 23,500 workers to meet additional demand during the coronavirus pandemic and that it plans to hire 20,000 more.
The company said it hired from industries that have seen high levels of impact from the pandemic, including restaurants, hotels and food service.
Kroger said it has streamlined its hiring process, onboarding new employees in an average of 72 hours.
“Kroger’s top priority continues to be uplifting our associates and serving our communities, whether that’s by ensuring customers always can find food and products on our shelves or by providing a nearly immediate job opportunity to help an unemployed person to begin working again,” said Tim Massa, Kroger’s senior vice president and chief people officer, in a statement. “During this time of uncertainty, Kroger is committed to remaining a constant. We have a responsibility to our associates, customers and communities, and we will continue to be here…for any need.”
The company said it wants to hire more than 2,000 new workers in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area alone, according to The Enquirer.
Kroger will be holding a job fair both Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at its Mt. Carmel pick-up only store in Clermont County, Ohio. The fair will be held in the parking lot to encourage social distancing practices.
As of Friday evening, there are more than 1,100 confirmed positive cases of the coronavirus in Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Health. The illness has resulted in 276 hospitalizations and 19 deaths.
There are more than 85,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The death toll is 1,246.
Candidates interested in applying to Kroger can apply at jobs.kroger.com. Kroger’s average hourly wage is $15 an hour, according to The Enquirer.
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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair. Email her at [email protected].
Photo “Kroger Store” by Dwight Burdette. CC BY 3.0.
