May 19, 2020 - Economy

Coronavirus is creating new kinds of work

Erica Pandey

Making sure we can safely return to work and public life post-coronavirus will require new rules, new equipment — and even whole new jobs.

The big picture: The U.S. needs anywhere from 100,000 to 300,000 contact tracers, whose job it is to keep track of people who have been exposed to the virus and give them advice on how to contain it, the New York Times' Jacey Fortin writes.

There are already several thousand people doing the job today. It pays between $17 and $25 an hour and can be done from home via phone.
"As communities begin to open up and more people venture outside their homes, the job is expected to become more crucial — and more difficult," Fortin notes.

Another post-pandemic job will be that of temperature checkers, who will station themselves at offices and schools to screen people.

The Washington Post already has job openings for such workers.

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Coronavirus is creating new kinds of work

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