As the economy reels from the shock of the coronavirus outbreak, not everyone is under the weather.

Walmart will hire 150,000 workers to fulfill rising demand, the retail giant said in a press release on Thursday.

“As part of responding to the current environment, Walmart is also hiring 150,000 new associates through the end of May to work in stores, clubs, distribution centers and fulfillment centers,” the company declared.

The press release explained that many of these new roles will initially be temporary, but many will become permanent in time. Walmart claims to be working with “industry groups representing restaurants and hospitality” — industries that have been hard hit by state and local policies forcing many “non-essential” businesses to close — in order to provide their displaced employees with jobs.

Walmart is accelerating the hiring process for “key roles” such as cashiers and stockers. An application cycle that would previously have lasted two weeks will now take just 24 hours.

“We know millions of Americans who are usually employed at this time are temporarily out of work, and at the same time we’re currently seeing strong demand in our stores,” said CEO Doug McMillon. “We’re looking for people who see Walmart as a chance to earn some extra money and perform a vital service to their community.”

The company also plans to give out cash bonuses to employees as a sign of thanks for their work during the COVID-19 panic. The bonus will go to all hourly associates in stores, clubs, supply chain, and offices. It will be $300 for full-time hourly associates and $150 for part-time associates — totaling more than $365 million.

All hourly employees who have been with the company as of March 1 will qualify and should receive the payment on April 2.

The retailer will also pay out the next scheduled bonus a month early as a way of putting more cash in employees’ hands.

Altogether, these bonuses amount to nearly $550 million.

“Walmart associates have gone above and beyond the call of duty in serving our customers during these unprecedented times,” McMillon said. “We want to reward our associates for their hard work and recognize them for the work that is in front of us.”

In a note to workers, John Furner, who leads Walmart U.S., praised employees for their performance amid the crisis:

It’s been incredible to see Walmart associates step up to the challenge of serving America this month. During a very uncertain and stressful time, you have done your jobs with calm, compassion, and excellence. Because of you, Americans have been able to get the items and services they need from clean, orderly, stores — or delivered right to their doorsteps.

Thank you so much for devoting yourselves to your customers and communities. I also want to say thank you to your spouses and loved ones who’ve had to take on extra responsibilities during this time — particularly with many schools and daycares closed, and relatives and friends to look out for.

Walmart has not only gone unscathed, but actually thrived during a time when other businesses are suffering.

Many Americans, apprehensive about the possibility of having to quarantine at any moment, have gone out and purchased large quantities of food and emergency supplies, a fact that has boosted sales for sellers such as Walmart while causing shelve shortages of items such as toilet paper.

Many states have forced schools and businesses to close in order to curtail human interaction and reduce the virus’ spread. But grocery stores, along with pharmacies, have continued to be an exception to shutdowns.

And because Americans are being told to stay in their homes — in some cases under threat of government force— unless it is to conduct “essential” activities such as grocery shopping, stores such as Walmart have not only become one of the few places people can spend money, but one of the few places people can go, period.

With parks, beaches, restaurants, libraries, and other venues closed, picking up some extra hand sanitizer at Walmart is one of the few outlets many Americans have left.

It remains uncertain how far and how long these restrictive government measures will go. California Governor Gavin Newson on Thursday ordered his state’s residents to “stay at home.”

“The Office of Emergency Services is directed to take necessary steps to ensure compliance with this Order,” Newsom said in Executive Order N-33-20.

New York followed suit on Friday when Governor Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order declaring that people must leave their homes only for urgent emergencies. Stating that New York is “on pause,” the governor mandated that 100 percent of the state’s workforce stay home.

“This is not life as usual,” Cuomo said. “Deal with it.”

Image: Walmart Corporate / Wikimedia Commons

Luis Miguel is a writer whose journalistic endeavors shed light on the Deep State, the immigration crisis, and the enemies of freedom. Follow his exploits on Facebook, Twitter, Bitchute, and at luisantoniomiguel.com.