Though hundreds of Oregon businesses have shut down during the coronavirus pandemic, and tens of thousands of workers have been laid off, grocers and food producers report continued struggles to fill openings.

Fred Meyer, New Seasons and Walmart are among those looking for workers.

Mondelez International, which makes snacks and confectionary items such as Oreo Cookies, Ritz Crackers and Trident Gum, is hiring for a number of full-time, part-time and temporary jobs.

Tillamook Country Smoker, which makes beef jerky, meat sticks and smoked sausage at facilities in Bay City and Beaverton, is looking for immediate help in several departments.

Imperfect Foods, which delivers groceries that have been overstocked or rejected for cosmetic reasons by mainline stores, needs Portland delivery drivers and warehouse workers.

Other categories are available, too.

VanderHouwen Staffing Agency has a long list of open jobs in services such as health care, logistics and transportation. Erin Lester, director of staffing technology and operations for the hiring service, said in an email that the company has clients that “really need temporary staff right now.”

Retirement communities also are looking for help. Tye Gabriel, sales and marketing director of the CherryWood Village Senior living community, said his facility held a job fair last week that led to 17 hires.

Gabriel said CherryWood Village is planning another hiring fair April 8 that will focus on additional staff for its memory care assisted living units. There are two sessions planned for the job fair, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

“We’re looking for anyone who is interested,” he said.

The food business is particularly busy, especially big retailers, grocers and grocery suppliers.

Walmart is looking for more than 1,200 workers in Oregon to fill openings in stores and warehouses, communications director Tiffany Wilson said in a prepared statement. The company hired more than 25,000 people across the country last week.

“We are hiring permanent employees as well as helping to facilitate temporary roles that can be a bridge for employees in impacted industries such as restaurants and hospitality,” she said.

Fred Meyer has streamlined its hiring process in attempt to quickly fill what a company release called “hundreds” of positions in retail, manufacturing and distribution.

Mondelez International has openings in its bakery and for sanitation workers in its plants. The company needs temperature screeners to check employees’ health as they arrive for work, and has openings for people to work in sales and merchandizing.

“We have safe, living wage, full-time and part-time positions open with benefits, which give people the option to choose what role best suits their needs in this current situation,” Imperfect Foods CEO Philip Behn said in a statement.

It is unclear what impact, if any, the $2 trillion stimulus package passed by Congress will have on the Portland employment market.

Adults making less than $75,000 per year will receive checks of $1,200 each, with another $500 per child. Additionally, Congress provided up to $600 more per week in unemployment benefits, plus expanded unemployment insurance to cover part-time and self-employed workers who weren’t previously eligible.

Greg Costley, chief people officer for Tillamook Country Smoker, wrote in an email he thought the stimulus package “is helpful” to his company because he is looking to hire people interested in more than temporary work.

Tillamook Country Smoker has jobs available in the manufacturing, smokehouse, maintenance and quality assurance departments.

“We are finding that many candidates who have been displaced from their jobs are looking for permanent, ongoing jobs, which are the jobs we are offering,” Costley wrote.

Rita Clark, who helps find employees for Mondelez International, said she didn’t believe the stimulus checks or expanded jobless benefits will deter prospective hires.

“There are so many people out of work, I wouldn’t expect all of them would stay out and collect unemployment,” she said. “Some of these industries, in my opinion, might not come back.”

Clark said some open positions at Mondelez are for full-time jobs, and that some temp jobs could evolve into full-time positions. She said the stimulus money, while welcome, isn’t an enduring solution.

“I think in the long run, people will be looking for work,” Clark said.

-- Ken Goe

kgoe@oregonian.com | @KenGoe

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