Many companies are struggling to keep up with the rapidly changing business landscape right now, with some having to shut down stores and branches, lay off workers or dramatically readjust their strategies because of the coronavirus pandemic. But as demand for essential goods and services is still high some of America's biggest supermarkets, food companies, medical providers, and delivery services are hiring up to hundreds of thousands of staff to meet it. Click or scroll through to see 24 companies that are hiring in high numbers in the US right now.

Once everybody started working from home, video conferencing service Zoom saw a huge surge in demand, and between January and April enjoyed a 169% increase in usage compared to the previous year. The company has not put out a call for jobs but there are currently 176 positions being advertised online, including more than 100 in the US.

Now discover the brands that boomed during global crises

GE Healthcare is the world’s largest digital industrial company. To help with the coronavirus crisis, it has been increasing its manufacturing output of healthcare essentials including CT Scanning machines, ultrasound devices, mobile X-ray systems, patient monitors and ventilators, which are important for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. To this end, there are currently more than 900 jobs live on the GE Healthcare careers site, including more than 130 in the US.

Drug wholesaler Amerisource Bergen is hiring right now and is looking for nearly 300 people to fill positions across the US. Roles cater for those wanting everything from business development positions to night shifts at the company’s warehouses. Benefits of working at Amerisource Bergen include tuition reimbursement, paid volunteer time off and pet insurance.

Pharmacies were among the few retailers able to remain open, along with supermarkets and food stores, during lockdowns. As a result, US pharmacy chain CVS took on a whopping 50,000 people, and the hiring spree is ongoing. The company recently announced that it would be hiring another 300 new employees in Arizona, as CVS increases its output ahead of the imminent flu season.

Now discover the 50 companies that rule the world

McKesson is America’s largest drug distributor and the company took over $208 million (£161m) in revenue last year. The company website is currently advertising more than 300 jobs in the US alone, with positions also up for grabs in Canada and the UK. McKesson has spent the last couple of years working on its diversity and was listed in the Diversity Best Practices Inclusion Index in August.

As one of the many companies racing to find a COVID-19 vaccine, it’s perhaps unsurprising that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is eagerly looking to take on new staff during the pandemic. The company website lists more than 500 jobs that need filling in the US, and there are both remote and on-site roles available. GSK's vaccine efforts haven't gone unnoticed, and countries are already signing up for doses of its vaccine, including 100 million doses bought by the US government, with the option to buy 500 million more.

Comcast is the parent company of broadcasters including NBC, and is looking to take on new recruits across its different platforms in the US. There are nearly 600 jobs available at Comcast according to its careers site, and the company has already scooped up a number of employer awards this year, including Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion awarded by the Annual Disability Index, and Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality from Human Rights Campaign.

One of several telecommunications companies looking to hire, Verizon ensures that Americans can stay connected. The company wants to take on new workers, and has more than 770 US-based jobs listed on its careers page. Verizon Communications is number 20 on the Fortune 500, and currently has around 135,000 employees across the world.

One in eight Americans gets their healthcare coverage through Anthem and its affiliated companies, and it employs more than 70,000 people across the States. Anthem is looking to hire for more than 900 jobs right now, including customer service positions and finance and marketing roles. The company also donated $1 million (£760k) to Indy Chamber Rapid Response Loan Fund at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in an attempt to help small businesses to deal with the pandemic.

Healthcare enterprise Centene Corporation has nearly 50,000 employees across the 50 states and is looking to recruit more than 1,000 more. Centene prides itself on providing health products to one in 15 people living in America, while also serving international markets, and seeks to provide affordable care to those who need it.

A global food and drinks conglomerate with brands including Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Quaker Foods, Cheetos and many more, PepsiCo currently has more than 1,100 jobs listed on its careers site that are based in the US. Positions span administration and communication to manufacturing and transport. In a statement released on 20 March the company also said that the PepsiCo Foundation would invest up to $11 million (£9.2m) to “provide critical support to communities” during the pandemic.

Read about the product changes and rebrands that failed

More than 1,400 US-based jobs are currently waiting to be filled at the social media giant. Facebook usage and revenue have continued to increase throughout the pandemic, putting it in good stead to weather the virus that is proving fatal to other businesses. The company’s success has also been reflected in founder Mark Zuckerberg’s net worth, which has almost doubled since April this year and currently sits at $101.5 billion (£77.4bn).

Now read about how Facebook became a global success

This year social distancing has swept the globe, and so it makes sense that telecommunications are playing an even bigger role in our lives during the pandemic. As a result, the world’s biggest telecommunications company AT&T continues to thrive in the US, and currently has more than 2,000 jobs listed online. The company sits at ninth place on the Fortune 500 list of America's biggest companies, and is also looking for workers in Asia and Europe.

Now read: America's 50 biggest landowners

While Skype and Teams haven’t quite enjoyed the unprecedented success of Zoom, their parent company is still in good enough shape to be taking on plenty of staff. Microsoft currently has more than 2,000 job openings advertised on its website, and the company is looking for new team members all over America, although most positions are based in Washington state.

UnitedHealth Group, the owner of UnitedHealthcare and Optum, encompasses a number of sectors, from health and nutrition to yachts and real estate, and while trade has been heavily disrupted in the last couple of months this American company is powering through. At the time of writing the UnitedHealth Group is looking to fill more than 2,600 positions, according to its online job listings, including research, communication, and medical roles.

Raytheon Technologies focuses on innovating across aerospace technologies, intelligence and space, and missiles and defence. The company is continuing to hire throughout the pandemic, with more than 3,400 US-based jobs currently listed on Raytheon’s website. The recruitment process has also been tweaked to make it suitable for the times, with virtual careers fairs and interviews being the norm, as well as remote onboarding, inductions and graduations.

United Parcel Service (UPS) has been working hard to get deliveries out during the pandemic, and increased demand means that the company is looking for new hires. There are more than 3,800 positions currently listed online, including car washers, warehouse staff and human resources roles.

One of America’s biggest employers with 360,000 members of staff, Target is looking to add more than 9,000 employees, according to listings on its website. Target reported record online sales in its second quarter, seeing a 195% increase compared to the same period last year. The company also saw a 24.3% increase in its store sales, which was another record for the supermarket.

Pizza delivery chain Domino’s is continuing to hire across multiple global markets to meet increased demand during the pandemic. After initially creating 10,000 new jobs in America at the end of March, by the end of August the company announced another 20,000 job openings, with roles ranging from pizza makers to managers and customer service representatives. Domino’s is also offering “contact-free delivery” on all orders, which customers can request over the phone or select when ordering online or through the app.

The largest home improvement retailer in the US, The Home Depot has catered for America’s DIY needs since 1978. It is also now catering for Americans in need of a job, as the company is currently looking to fill more than 22,500 roles across the US, according to its website. The Home Depot is one of America’s biggest employers, with more than 415,000 members of staff across its operations.

Amazon has really thrived during the pandemic, pushing founder and CEO Jeff Bezos well ahead of the crowd financially with an incredible net worth of $189.8 billion (£144.7bn). The boom has had a positive effect on those looking for work too, with the company having onboarded 175,000 new members of staff in the US during the COVID-19 crisis. Amazon doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon either – currently more than 800 positions are looking to be filled in the US, and this is set to grow as the retailer has just announced plans for a virtual career day on 16 September. The online event will include interactive workshops, speakers, and one-on-one career advice for up to 20,000 people, after which it hopes to fill 33,000 jobs with average compensation of $150,000 (£115k). Many of these jobs will be open to anyone, regardless of location.

Amazon's future plans, from cashless stores to home robots

History suggests that bargain stores do well in times of economic crisis, so it's unsurprising that Dollar General saw profits soar in the last couple of months. The company recruited 50,000 new employees to its workforce in April, and has committed to opening 1,000 new stores over the course of 2020. This means that there are plenty of positions yet to be filled across Dollar General’s operations throughout the States.

Anticipating a busy holiday season as online shopping continues to boom, FedEx is looking to hire an additional 70,000 members of staff in the US to cope with increased demand. Workers are mostly needed to strengthen on-the-ground operations, such as package handlers and office personnel, and will join an already 500,000-strong team of employees at the world’s largest cargo airline.  

In the midst of the pandemic people are still keen to get their fast food fix, and McDonald’s is expanding to meet global demand. In June the Golden Arches said it was looking to hire 260,000 new workers in the US, from restaurant staff to opportunities at the company’s head offices. 

Now discover the best franchises to invest in post-pandemic