10 New Job Opportunities in the Philippines Created by the COVID-19 Pandemic
It’s no question that the COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately led to a downturn of many economic events – countries all around the world are suffering from mass unemployment due to lack of resources. Many sectors have seen an extreme loss in profit, especially those in the service industry, such as cinemas, restaurants, and theme parks. Many people have had their lives utterly upturned because of the pandemic.
At the same time, however, COVID-19 has also created a demand – a new demand for jobs that didn’t exist (or weren’t popular) before, one that can only be satisfied during these trying times. Those who find themselves unemployed or with cut hours can view these as a new possible source of income. After all, it doesn’t seem as if the pandemic will go away anytime soon, so it’s best to adapt and adjust to the situation as much as possible.
Here are a couple of the new job opportunities created by the COVID-19 pandemic, which will only rise in demand as the crisis continues to unfold.
Temperature Screeners
While many businesses have shifted to the work from home setting, many require their skeletal and essential workforces to visit the office. To ensure the utmost safety, they need temperature screeners at the entrance to record every employee’s temperature with a non-contact thermometer to ensure they’re not running a fever (one of the most common symptoms of COVID-19). Due to the reduced work hours during quarantine, temperature screeners are usually given part-time or half-day pay.
COVID-19 Testers
While many private sector businesses require temperature screeners, COVID-19 testers are usually required more for public sector work – many neighbourhood officials and local government units need COVID-19 Testers to monitor the number of people infected to pass on to the local and national government census. This can involve going door to door, or to the local government clinic from patient to patient in order to administer the tests.
Sanitizers and sanitizing businesses
Sanitizers are absolutely essential in the COVID-19 pandemic and are usually given hazard pay for their handling of risky waste. Many clinics, hospitals, and businesses are looking for trustworthy sanitizing businesses in order to make sure that their workspaces and areas are as free from the virus as possible.
Food delivery businesses
With people no longer being able to eat out due to the risks brought upon by the virus, many are resorting to food and grocery couriers to deliver their meals to them instead. If you’re looking to invest or start a business in the up-and-coming courier sector, now is a perfect time.
Driver/couriers
Drivers and couriers are in extreme demand at the moment due to the surge in people having home deliveries. People are having everything delivered – from food, household items, and even furniture. With the pandemic, the already popular online shopping phenomena have only increased, and many courier and shipping businesses are looking for new drivers to take care of the demand. The good thing about being a driver, especially for some mobile app businesses such as Grab and Lalamove, is that you can have your own hours and even use your own vehicle. This is a great way to earn money on the side, especially if you work irregular hours and have some free time to use.
Safety screen manufacturers
Many essential businesses still need to keep up and running, such as banks, government offices, and police stations. Because of this, many safety procedures need to be implemented, such as the installation of acrylic and plexiglass screens all around the offices so that the staff and employees don’t get infected. If you’re good at manufacturing and carpentry, this could be a great home business and industry to start up especially seeing as how many industries will need these to adjust to the ‘new normal’ of the pandemic aftermath.
Home bakeries/restaurants
While there are many ‘big name’ restaurants and bakeries available on food delivery apps to order in, many people still prefer affordable and homemade meals and taste that can only be crafted by hand – by small businesses and restaurants. Online marketplaces such as Facebook Marketplace and many different group chats related to baking and cooking have a very great demand for homemade goods. What’s great about having your own home food business is that there’s no need to deliver them yourself – it’s very easy nowadays to simply book a courier with apps such as Grab, Lalamove, and MrSpeedy to get your food delivered to your customer in as little as under an hour.
Online tutors
With the widespread academic shift of schools towards an online curriculum, many students are finding it hard to adjust their learning styles in effectively understanding the teachers through a virtual medium. This is where online tutors come in – it’s much harder to communicate with classmates and teachers online, so tutors really help in allowing a student to understand the lesson thoroughly. If you’re academically inclined and have good teaching skills, especially to children, this is a great job to have during the quarantine period. All you need to start is a webcam, internet access, and a well-functioning laptop, and you’re good to go.
Online fitness instructors
Gyms are evidently a big no-no during the pandemic because of all the sweat and bodily fluids that can be potentially shared via the equipment. Many people lack proper fitness being indoors most of the time, so online fitness instructors are currently in high demand, so help those who want to maintain their routine even at home, with limited space and equipment.
Face mask makers
Wearing face masks will be the new normal for a long time to come, and there will be no shortage of demand for it in the future. This is a great time to start up a face mask business, especially if you’re skilling in sewing, embroidery, and leatherworking. You can start small by selling masks in your neighbourhood and eventually expand if it does well. It’s a great and low-risk business to run in the comfort and safety of your own home.