Briana KoenemanWalmart will add thousands of new employees to its workforce to help deal with a surge of shoppers as the coronavirus continues to spread.
The company said in a statement Thursday it will hire 150,000 new associates through the end of May to work in stores, clubs, distribution centers and fulfillment centers. Those jobs will be temporary at first, but many will become permanent over time.
Walmart said it's also planning to hand out cash bonuses totaling $550 million to its current hourly workers.
These are the latest steps Walmart has taken in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this week, the company announced shorter hours to give employees time to restock shelves and clean stores.
