While many have lost their jobs, at least temporarily, due to the Coronavirus crisis, some businesses are becoming more profitable than ever before. Unfortunately, restaurants, bars, and the like have largely shut down at this point, whether by government mandate or owner decision. Since so many Americans are used to regularly ordering food at restaurants, they must now suddenly turn to the grocery sector instead.

This, in combination with those who are "panic-buying" supplies and hoarding them, has created a gaping hole in certain markets. Traditionally low-paid jobs are suddenly seeing much higher wages with benefits as companies realize that very few people are willing to work in dangerous conditions at minimum wage. Remember, nobody who is at risk of dying from COVID-19 should entertain the idea of taking these jobs. It's a risk for anyone, and only each individual person can determine whether accepting these postings is worth it in the long run.

Grocery Stores

Grocery stores are seeing one of the biggest booms ever. Due to price-gouging laws and a general sense of ethics, most have not significantly raised prices. However, with very few "dine out" options left, almost all consumer food is now being obtained from grocery stores. In addition to basic staples, infamously including toilet paper, grocery stores are effectively supplying the population with food that is necessary now more than ever.

The main issue is that these stores tend to rely on small purchases and automation to reduce the amount of staff they must pay. With increasingly unruly customers and larger purchases, most people are not opting for self-checkouts now. As such, many major chains, such as Kroger, have announced massive hiring increases. Kroger alone plans to hire at least 10,000 additional temporary employees with higher wages than they've ever paid before.

Even if you aren't looking for a customer-facing job, you're in luck. Much of these jobs are stocking jobs. This is because stores are selling out of essentially everything so fast that additional people are needed to ensure that their shelves are well-stocked for the next business day. You also run the lowest risk of contracting COVID-19 with this type of job, since you aren't in contact with customers all the time.

Pharmacies

Though many pharmacies are contained within grocery stores, even dedicated chains are hiring more pharmacy technicians than ever before. In a field where wages had been stagnant for quite some time, employees are enjoying an increasingly higher pay rate daily. Regardless of whether an employee is unionized, chains are looking for more pharmacy technicians and are offering great incentives for them.

In some cases, pharmacy technicians are even being paid to relocate to certain areas, a practice that was virtually unheard of before COVID-19 took over. In either case, pharmacists and pharmacy techs are getting more say over what hours they work, how many customers they can see without becoming overwhelmed, and seeing more job satisfaction than ever before.

Trucking

One of the biggest hurdles to entering the trucking field is the requirement to have a CDL. Most companies historically have not paid for this certification, leaving the holder in thousands of dollars of debt. This paradigm has rapidly shifted, as logistics companies have seen that there's a huge shortcoming in the number of available truckers.

More companies than ever are paying in full for CDL certifications and trying to get drivers on the road as soon as possible. They're also paying higher mileage rates on average and offering lots of enticements, including sign-on bonuses upwards of $10,000 for new drivers.

Picking a Field

Especially if you've been unemployed, there's never been a better time to jump into the labor market. While the remote job market is becoming more saturated, the in-person job market is as wide open as it's ever been for necessary industries. Essentially, every industry outside the tourism and restaurant industries has to pay employees more fairly and offer benefits more in line with white-collar job benefits.

Though these corporations are seeing some profit losses, this is one of the first times in modern history that "minimum wage jobs" are being recognized as very necessary and worthy of higher compensation. If you don't have a college degree and don't intend to get one, you probably won't ever be able to negotiate a higher salary than you could right now!