Job Search During COVID-19 – Find Out Which Companies & Industries Are Hiring
Adam Winfield B.A.
Resume & Professional Branding Specialist
Careers by Design
8 MIN READ
This is an unprecedented time and no one’s life has been left untouched by the COVID-19 crisis. It’s normal to feel anxious about your prospects in the job market if you find yourself looking for work.
Many industries virtually shut down at the height of the pandemic and millions of Canadians lost their jobs or had their hours drastically reduced. Among those hit hardest are workers in the retail, hospitality, sports, automotive and tourism sectors.
Despite all the uncertainty, some industries in Canada are finding that it’s pretty much business as usual - or even better than usual - as the world adjusts to meet the challenges of COVID-19.
So if you’ve ever dreamed about transitioning your career to one of these stable or booming industries, now might be a good time to make it a reality. Not all the jobs on the market right now can be considered “dream jobs”, but they could provide you with the financial security you need to ride out the coronavirus crisis.
We’ve put together an overview of the bright spots in the Canadian job market right now. We’ll be updating this post regularly, so be sure to check back here often. This article will cover the main industries that are hiring.
Canadian COVID-19 List of Hiring Companies
Did you know there was a master spreadsheet of companies that are hiring during the pandemic?
The list is a living document that includes more than 300 companies across many industries and locations.
You can currently access more than 2,000 jobs via the list. Keep an eye on this list as more companies are being added daily!

Sites for Finding Remote Work and Freelance Gigs
If the type of work you do can be done from home on a computer, sites for finding remote work and freelance gigs are another option right now. Competition is fierce, and you have to invest time to get results. But the payoff can be worth the upfront effort.
For freelance gigs, check out Flexjobs.com, a paid service that features remote jobs in 50+ categories, as well as Freelancer.com, Guru.com, LinkedIn Profinder, Upwork and Fiverr.
Sologig is another option for those with skills in engineering and IT.
Jobs to help you ride out a rough patch
If you’re looking for short-term work to get through the crisis, try the Toronto-made app Hyr.
You can use the app to connect with businesses looking for staff on a per-shift basis.
Jobs include grocery order fillers, delivery drivers and security guard positions.
Hyr has eliminated its usual service fee, and workers can get money deposited into their bank accounts within 72 hours. Many Hyr gigs are offering higher hourly pay than you’d usually expect from this kind of work.
Industries Hiring Right Now
Technology and IT
There’s a big demand for technology workers in good times, and that demand doesn’t seem to have wavered during COVID-19.
Not only are companies like Amazon large enough to weather the crisis, but their business of delivering goods to people’s homes while they self-isolate is thriving. Ecommerce companies in general and digital advertising agencies are doing well and hiring.
The same applies to companies providing video communication, remote collaboration and remote productivity software services as millions of people adapt to working from home.
Other companies you might want to keep an eye on include those in IT, digital entertainment and streaming, video games developers and online learning providers.
Healthcare
Those seeking positions such as registered nurse, respiratory specialist, physician and paramedic may find opportunities opening up for them during this time of crisis. Outside of patient care roles, healthcare administration job openings are seeing a spike too.
Retail
Canada’s retailers are slowly opening their doors and going back to business. Look out for vacancies across all departments of these organizations, as they rebuild their workforces after being forced to hibernate throughout the worst of the pandemic.
Banking & Finance
Canadians are relying on the advice of financial experts and planners as they look forward to life after COVID-19. If you’re in the market for jobs such as financial advisor or customer service representative, now could be a great time to start getting applications out to banks and financial services companies.
Telecommunications
Telecoms companies have found themselves busy keeping up with demand as millions of Canadians relocate from offices to home offices. Companies such as Bell and Rogers are adapting to meet the needs of Canadians seeking fast and stable home internet connections. Mobile phone companies have been busier than usual, too. Opportunities here include customer and IT support, installation and maintenance technician and business management positions.
Public health and government
Canada, like many other countries, is experiencing major unemployment and the government has come forward with assistance to support those who find themselves unexpectedly out of work.
The high demand for benefits such as Employment Insurance (EI) and the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) means the federal government needs more hands on deck than usual.
Meanwhile, provincial governments are bolstering their workforces in social services, public health, education, and IT to make sure Canadians have access to critical services and support.
Engineering and architecture
Affordable housing remains as much of a problem as it was before the pandemic in cities such as Toronto and Vancouver. Construction is still going at full tilt, so that means those with skills in engineering and architecture may find that companies are hiring.
News and publishing
COVID-19 has been front and centre of the news cycle for months now, and news organizations will continue to need extra reporters to cover what is going on during the pandemic and provide critical information to citizens. If this is your field, be on the lookout for rare opportunities in jobs such as reporter, editor, video producer, web and IT publishing and more across both traditional media including newspapers and TV and digital publications.
"Essential" Businesses
Canada’s provinces have designated certain industries and businesses as “essential” during the pandemic and those that are starting to re-open.
For the full list of essential workplaces in Ontario, click here.
For the list of essential services during COVID-19 in British Columbia, click here.
For the list of essential services in Alberta, click here.
Finally....
If the industry you would like to work in isn’t doing a lot of hiring right now, don’t lose heart. There may still be opportunities due to turnover or immediate needs. Your outreach efforts to find a new job have value.
Networking will enable you to understand the unique challenges and opportunities. The seeds you plant today will serve you well when things return to the new normal!
We wish you vibrant health and success as you navigate this historic time!
Adam Winfield and The Careers by Design team