By Bethany Biron

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As retailers around the nation shut their doors in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, "essential" businesses like grocery stores and pharmacies are seeking support to accommodate overwhelming demand.

Companies including Kroger, Dollar General, and Amazon have listed thousands of job openings for sales associates, distribution workers, and delivery drivers, among others. The jobs -- many of which are available immediately and require no related experience -- are meant to alleviate overrun stores and warehouses dealing with an influx of orders from panicked Americans stocking up on items like canned goods and toilet paper.

The open positions also come as many workers find themselves suddenly without jobs, in some cases without pay and benefits, as a spate of stores close indefinitely. According to the Economic Policy Institute, an estimated three million jobs will be eliminated by this summer alone as a result of the economic impact of the coronavirus. Other figures from IHS Markit show that the US unemployment rate is on track to nearly double from 3.5% in February to 6% by mid-2021.

As the country braces itself for a possible recession, the economic turbulence is also exposing a lack of social safety net for many workers who can't afford to be out of work. On social media, a rash of recently laid-off employees have voiced their concerns, leading to a growing number of posts on job openings.

While policy changes to support these workers may be far off, in the short term, see below for a list of companies seeking immediate employment.