Cincinnati-headquartered Fifth Third Bank announced plans to hire 950 people to fill positions in its retail banking centers, mortgage and operations centers.

The company’s footprint spans 10 states – Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia.

The bank seeks to fill 500 positions in retail, 350 in mortgage sales and support positions, and 100 positions in operations. The starting wage for new employees is $18 an hour and the bank stated it would offer a “comprehensive benefits package to attract and retain its workforce.”

Furthermore, the bank said “certain on-site employees hired by May 10, 2020 are eligible for up to $1,000 in additional special payments, less applicable taxes, deductions and withholdings.” However, it did not identify which jobs would receive those special benefits, nor did it say how many positions per state will be filled.

“Our Fifth Third customers and communities need us more than ever during these uncertain times, and we will continue to be here for them,” said Greg Carmichael, chairman, president and CEO of Fifth Third Bancorp. “I’m proud of the extraordinary service our employees are providing each day. We are looking to grow our team of professionals to serve these needs and to help provide critical employment opportunities so our communities can get back to work again.”

Fifth Third also stressed that while some of its positions have been transitioned to remote work locations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the new customer-facing employees will receive training for enhanced social distancing, and protective measures including enhanced cleaning measures at its sites will be put into place.

“We continue to take good care of our employees so they can continue to take good care of our customers,” Carmichael added. “Now more than ever, our customers are counting on us to provide them with the financial expertise and essential banking services necessary to navigate uncertainty.”