JD Logistics to hire 20,000 more delivery and warehouse workers, giving priority to those below poverty line
- Unemployment in China rose rapidly in the first two months of 2020 as the country’s economy was squeezed by the impact of the coronavirus lockdown
- Up to March 6, 14.2 million rural migrant workers returned to work in the cities but that represented only 52 per cent of the number in normal times
The logistics unit of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com is looking to hire over 20,000 new warehouse and delivery workers to meet surging online demand amid a growing pool of people looking for work after losing jobs during the coronavirus crisis.
The company said it would give priority to applicants who fall under the country’s poverty threshold to help China meet its poverty alleviation goal in 2020, according to JD Logistics statement on Monday.
All positions are full-time and include frontline positions such as delivery drivers and warehouse workers. As well as giving priority to the poor, the company will provide them with the required training, a JD.com spokesman told the Post.
The hiring binge comes after the unemployment rate in China rose rapidly in the first two months of 2020 as the country’s economy was squeezed by the impact of the coronavirus lockdown. Most people were unable to return to work after the Lunar New Year when authorities extended the holiday period to try and curb the spread of the disease but surging demand for more online services is now starting to create new jobs.
During their quarantine at home more people relied on e-commerce platforms to shop for daily supplies. Statistics from JD Daojia, a grocery delivery service of JD.com, showed that retail revenues shot up 450 per cent year on year between January 27 and February 13, creating more pressure on logistics operations, according to state-owned Xinhua.
The JD.com spokesman declined to comment on whether the hiring plan was due to a labour shortage caused by the pandemic.