Aldi and Asda to hire 14,000 staff to help with coronavirus demand
ALDI and Asda are taking on 14,000 staff between them to help with demand following the coronavirus outbreak.
Aldi has created 5,000 new temporary jobs and has 4,000 permanent vacancies currently available across all parts of it business.
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Permanent roles include in stores, head office and logistics, while the temporary jobs will be in stores and distribution centres with an immediate start date
Aldi adds that temporary roles could become permanent.
Meanwhile, Asda is taking on 5,000 temporary employees.
Both say staff will help replenish stock more quickly and provide additional assistance to customers.
Asda adds that it is working with more than 20 national companies in food services and travel industries to take on staff in need of work.
At Asda, workers will be offered shifts or temporary roles, the supermarket said, to help other companies that have been hard hit by the virus.
Current workers at the supermarket - which is owned by US supermarket giant Walmart - are being encouraged to recruit people on social media, as well as friends and family.
Asda is also asking restaurant and cafe workers who have been made redundant elsewhere to come and work at stores, with an aim to reopen its own deli and pizza counters.
Meanwhile at Aldi, all new recruits will earn a minimum of £9.30 an hour nationally or £10.90 an hour if they are working at a store or distribution centre in London.
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Aldi's recruitment director, Kelly Stokes said: "We have a huge number of roles to fill across the business so we’re encouraging everyone who has been affected by COVID-19’s impact on the economy to explore our available roles and see if we can get you back into work.”
Asda adds that it's also going to pay its small suppliers upfront and will provide a "rent free" quarter to around 250 small business tenants in its stores who are struggling to operate.
The supermarket will also give full pay to staff who are self-isolating after contracting the illness.
Those who are part of a vulnerable group and need to self-isolate, they will receive full pay for the full 12 weeks to protect their health.
Chief executive and president of Asda, Roger Burnley, said: “During these difficult times everyone has to work together to help people most affected by Covid-19 and Asda is pleased to play its part.
"That is why today we have committed to hiring more than 5,000 employees who have lost their jobs due to Covid-19 and have been left with deep concerns about their household budgets."
He added: “Where we can provide opportunities for employment, even short term, to help people through this period, we want to play our part. And where we are able to reduce the strain on our smaller suppliers and tenants – we will do so.”
If you want to apply for a job at Asda, visit .
You can also apply for jobs at Aldi via its .
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It comes after Co-op announced yesterday it was taking on 5,000 workers to help replenish stock.
While Lidl is also hiring 2,500 temporary workers.
And Morrisons also created 3,500 jobs to help expand home deliveries to get groceries to vulnerable people.
The rush to the stores led to shoppers in the first week of March.