Coles receives 36,000 job applications in one day during coronavirus crisis
After announcing a huge recruitment push, Coles received 36,000 job applications in one day, in what one politician described as a sign of the huge economic challenge the country faces during the coronavirus outbreak.
Supermarkets have been under the pump these past few weeks as Australians attempt to stock up due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is putting unnecessary demand on stores to restock.
Footage of people fighting over toilet paper have emerged as well as heart-warming moments of shoppers sharing their groceries with the elderly and the disadvantaged, as shelves around the country are being stripped bare.
As stores implement stricter rules, Coles announced it is recruiting 5,000 casual workers “to help us continue to offer the best possible service to customers during this busy time”.
“This will allow us to serve more customers and replenish shelves faster, while offering employment opportunities for Australians working in other industries impacted by COVID-19,” Coles said on Monday.
The next day, thousands of people registered their interest.
Speaking to 10 daily, a spokesperson from Coles revealed that they received 36,000 job applications on Tuesday alone. That’s about 45 times its average daily intake of 800 applications.
Just 1 indicator of the economic challenge we face #auspol 👇 https://t.co/8WBuSjm2Z4
— Jason Clare MP (@JasonClareMP) March 18, 2020
Labor MP Jason Clare appeared on Sky News on Wednesday and said the huge uptake points to the size and scale of the country’s economic challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Clare said that many of those applications are most likely from those who work in the tourism or hospitality industry, which have been the hardest hit.
“They’re the sort of people that would ordinarily work at the bars and coffee shops that I walked past to get to this interview that are shut,” said Clare.
“People are looking for a safe haven … for a place where they know there is going to be a job tomorrow.”
Coles said casuals will have their inductions fast-tracked to boost numbers of staff on shop floors across the country.