The company is hiring warehouse workers, couriers and drivers. Some of the positions will be temporary.
The jobs are meant to "minimize the impact of the epidemic on employment in the short term," JD.com said in a statement, adding that it wants to "support stable employment."Dada Group, a local on-demand delivery provider that is backed by JD, will create an additional 15,000 positions.
JD.com's supermarket chain, 7FRESH, will also reach out to employees from restaurants, hotels, cinemas and retail outlets "that are temporarily closed due to the coronavirus," the company said in a statement.
These workers will be eligible for new short-term positions, including shop clerks, packaging assistants and delivery couriers, according to the company.
Business giants step in: E-commerce giant Alibaba announced a similar plan this week. On Monday, it introduced an "employee-sharing" scheme that would allow those who work in hospitality, dining, movie theaters, department stores and various other businesses to find temporary jobs at the company.
It declined to share an estimate on how many workers would be eligible.
Some workers have already found jobs through these initiatives. JD.com said Wednesday that its logistics unit has taken in at least 700 employees from more than 10 companies, adding that the firm is continuing to work with partners, staffing agencies and restaurants to recruit more people in thousands of cities.
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