Some Job Markets Thrive, Others Nearly Die in Midst of COVID-19

• Author: Monica Jackson
• Posted: 2023-02-26

Chances are that by now, you've heard that many employers are either offering employees the option of working from home or demanding that they work from home to combat the Coronavirus issue the nation faces right now. With dystopian horror stories occurring in countries such as Italy, companies do not want to be blamed for mass deaths.

Naturally, this "social distancing" option has some pros and cons. It proved to work well for the Spanish Flu at the early part of the twentieth century, and it can help some people become more centered. However, cons include forced isolation, which can prove to have exceptionally poor outcomes for those already marginalized and isolated. Additionally, some jobs cannot be done from home. We'll take a look at the job markets that are shuttering due to COVID-19; oddly, some markets are actually hitting record high job postings now, as well.

Hospitality Is Slowly Dying

The travel industry is slowly coming to a grinding halt. Hotels, airports, and even car rental agencies are having trouble at the moment. Almost nobody is willing to go into an airport out of fear of being infected with COVID-19. Even the gas price has dipped, since less people are voluntarily traveling at the moment. Unfortunately, this is all occurring during the Spring Break season, one of the typically most heavily-traveled times of the year.

Companies like Marriott and Hyatt have had no choice but to slash job listings. Almost every "in-person" job has had to also slash job listings, if not actually slash their current staff size to be able to keep up. Small travel agencies are mostly shutting down because of fear of catching the virus. These are industries that have been thought to be "depression-proof" prior years.

In other words, they were thought to be "always necessary" and therefore never face the threat of being shuttered. This is because goods always need to be transported, truckers always need hotels, businesses need event centers, and more. However, this is one of the first times in modern history that we're seeing this isn't the case. Much to the chagrin of large stakeholders in these companies, lots of work is getting done from home.

The Booming Industries

You may have heard on the news that the economy is going into free-fall, which is an exaggeration to say the least. Yes, certain sectors, especially those that fall under "Hospitality", are getting hit very hard by COVID-19. However, if you're looking for a job right now, two companies have record-high job postings of all time: Amazon and Tesla.

You may be wondering why these two companies have record-high listings. The answer is that they are capitalizing on a market opportunity at the moment. People are too scared to go out, so many jobs have been shuttered. Amazon and Tesla need workers of all skillsets to work for them. They also have invested heavily in digital automation, making it easy for people to get acquainted with new jobs from home.

These postings are the companies looking into the future and investing in a COVID-19-free future, which is likely not too far away, given that a vaccine produced in Canada is already in testing stages. They're hoping that people who have recently lost their jobs or fear losing their jobs will jump ship, even in the midst of the pandemic. Of course, in the meantime, people would be able to work from home. However, some of these jobs would eventually require coming to a physical workplace, once the WHO designates the pandemic as "over", individual states retract their states of emergency, and everything returns back to normal.

Should I Apply for These Jobs?

Whether or not you should apply for jobs in the tech sector depends on your background. There's an all-time high demand for these skills, so if you're a good fit, you should definitely apply. You're likely to get the best offers now, as well, since many people aren't focused on the job market right now.

Remember to ensure that you either won't need to report to an in-person job location now or in the eventual future! For example, Amazon has been posting jobs that will allow you to fully work from home for now but will later require you to relocate to California. This is an expenditure that many are unwilling to make! In short, use your best judgment.