Amid all the uncertainty going on during the COVID-19 pandemic, financial wellbeing and job security is on a lot of minds. Financial expert and retail analyst, Hitha Herzog, weighs in on some of the most frequently asked questions during a recent interview on the Tamron Hall Show. Check it out below!
What jobs are available on a national level?
On the national level, there’s the demand for healthcare workers, doctors, nurses, scientist, anyone that’s on the frontline.
What small businesses are thriving during the pandemic?
From a regional perspective, you have this demand for people who are sheltering at home – people who need their beauty supplies, or specific things for the house. If you’re a local grocery store or someone that can get supplies to people very quickly, as opposed to a national chain that’s having problems with deliveries, those are the small businesses who are really thriving right now during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Is beauty supplies an industry that’s seeing an uptick in revenue?
Beauty supplies is definitely seeing an uptick! Think about it – we’ve been sheltering at home for months. One of the things that people definitely need – apart from grabbing the closest pair of scissors and cutting your own hair – are items that allow us to look and feel like our regular self.
If you’re a local business that can supply beauty-related products, even if you’re a Mary Kay supplier or someone that sells locally in your region or area, then you can actually thrive during the pandemic, as long as you can get those products out to people efficiently.
What are the risks for essential workers?
There is a huge demand right now in these fulfillment warehouses. For example, Amazon is hiring approximately 100,000 people because the demand is so high to get packages out to people. But there have been reports that these Amazon warehouses haven’t been that safe with their workers. So this certainly comes with a caveat emptor, where you would need to be weary that it can be dangerous, however they do pay very high.
The same thing is true of grocery workers. If you’re at a national chain, or even a regional chain, there’s certainly a demand for workers there because they need more people stocking the shelves. Those are certainly jobs that are available, but it does mean the risk of contracting COVID by simply being out in public and around people.
Are the WFH opportunities?
Absolutely! Think about how much you’ve used Zoom from the start of the pandemic. There’s a high-demand for workers that have a skillset on the tech side of things. Companies like Microsoft and Google are hiring, as well. Even production companies have moved to a remote setting, and are offering remote video production services as opposed to traditional on-set production. Or for teachers and special educators, there are opportunities to make extra money with online tutoring.
What are more less common jobs or income opportunities available?
Amid all the uncertainty going on right now, a recent article noted that people going to fortune tellers has increased +136%. I don’t necessarily recommend going to a fortune teller, particularly if you are concerned about job security. But if you do have some disposable income, then that’s certainly something that’s been on the rise as of late.
The lottery is also still going on. However there’s been a drop off in lottery ticket purchases, and as a result the jackpot itself is significantly lower, but you can still purchase lottery tickets. If you do happen to win over $600, you have to send that ticket in. I’d recommend doing so via certified mail, and even taking a picture of that ticket with your phone. But if it’s less than $600, you can cash it in wherever the ticket was purchased.