MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazilian supermarkets in Sao Paulo to hire 5.000 temporary workers

Most of the new staff will be in charge of replenishing shelves and cash service, Apas said, adding interviews were being conducted mainly through WhatsApp

Brazilian supermarkets are planning to hire 5,000 temporary workers in Sao Paulo’s metropolitan region, the most severely affected by the coronavirus outbreak, to meet higher demand from consumers and replace employees under quarantine, according to the local association that represents the sector, Apas.

Most of the new staff will be in charge of replenishing shelves and cash service, Apas said in a statement late on Monday, adding interviews were being conducted mainly through WhatsApp, Facebook’s messaging app.

The move underscores the defensive nature of food retailing businesses during a time when other industries have been laying off or furloughing people as coronavirus lockdowns hurt demand.

Brazil had 5.717 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and 201 deaths by Tuesday, according to Health Ministry figures.

Shares in Carrefour Brasil SA (CRFB3.SA) have risen 4.3% in March, while Brazil’s benchmark stock index tumbled 28.4% in the same period.