What Jobs Will Be Available During and After Lockdown?

The coronavirus pandemic has changed society as we know it - having an impact on how we live, how we work, how we socialise and how we interact with one another. With local lockdowns in place and restrictions requiring social distancing and wearing face coverings in public places, there has been a dramatic impact on a number of different industries, with many workers placed on furlough and even losing their jobs. 

While the pandemic has had an unfortunate impact on the working world,  with many companies needing to quickly adapt to remote and home working, it hasn’t been doom and gloom for all business sectors. In fact, there are still a range of job roles available across a number of different industries - both during the pandemic and afterwards too, 

Here’s a look at what jobs will be available during and after lockdown. 

Construction Workers 

While construction has been an industry that has been impacted by the epidemic, it is also an industry that has ridden the wave of the pandemic, creating opportunities in times of chaos. With hospital builds and new-build properties projects still going ahead during lockdown, there are still plenty of career opportunities across various construction sectors. 

Warehouse pickers/delivery drivers

Thanks to lockdown, as a nation we’ve been spending a lot more time indoors, which consequently means that we’ve been shopping online a lot more. Not only that, but individuals who are high risk have been told to shield, as well as individuals quarantining when showing symptoms of COVID-19 or returning from being to specific countries abroad, have been confined to their homes for a period of time, meaning their shopping both recreational and for essentials has had to be done online. 

As a result, warehouses and delivery driving firms are hiring across the country - and in a big way. For example, online retail giant Amazon has created 15,000 new part and full time jobs in its goods fulfilment centres across the UK, as well as in its logistics network. 

Lorry drivers 

According to the latest REC survey, large goods vehicle (LGV) drivers are in high demand. When you consider the aforementioned surge in online shopping - this really isn’t a surprise. 

LGV or lorry drivers could be doing jobs like transporting goods to warehouses like the Amazon one mentioned above, or taking extra deliveries to individual supermarkets. 

It has been noted that the LGV sector has seen a shortage of drivers before the pandemic - so now more than ever, they are in desperate need of drivers. 

Digital technology & IT

As we pivot to a primarily online world, the sector for digital technology and IT is hiring across the board - looking at web developers, SEO experts, online security specialists and more. 

From ecommerce specialists to digital content creators - businesses are being forced to adapt to an online world while there are restrictions placed on the country, which consequently means that there are many openings available across the sector. 

Cleaners

Upon the imposition of a lockdown in March, the cleaning industry was hit hard, with domestic cleaners unable to enter homes or commercial properties in order to do their jobs. Now that these restrictions have been lifting in many places, there’s been a real surge in the market and the demand for cleaners has increased.

While in the thick of the coronavirus pandemic, it is more important than ever that we keep our homes and our properties clean, and cleaned regularly. With commercial properties like offices and shops, regular cleaning is imperative in order to keep the virus at bay - and as such, more cleaners are required to adhere to these strict and essential health and safety regimes. 

There is also a range of increased roles in the supermarket and retail sectors. As you can see, despite times being tough for many, there are rising opportunities within specific sectors, and this trend is set to increase as we progress through the pandemic - and indeed after it too.