While some economists dread predictions of five million added to the unemployment rolls next month, and fearful Americans flood stores to buy emergency provisioning, Walmart stands as the saving grace for countless individuals. As other retailers have been compelled by the coronavirus pandemic to shut their doors, Walmart has widened them, attempting to meet the increased demand.

Walmart is already the largest employer in the United States, with 1.3 million employees. But it won’t be contributing the mass layoffs seen from others. Instead, it’s expanding. The company has announced that it plans to hire 150,000 temporary workers by the end of May to help assist the in-demand stores.

"These roles will be temporary at first, but many will convert to permanent roles over time," said the company in a press release. "We've reached out to industry groups representing restaurants and hospitality to facilitate temporary roles that can be a bridge for their employees during this difficult time."

Walmart is being joined by other stores whose demand has skyrocketed, including Dollar Tree (which will be hiring 25,000 people) and 7-Eleven (who hopes to hire 20,000).

Not only will Walmart lend a helping hand to new workers, but it is providing direct benefits to their current employees as well. Full-time hourly Walmart associates will be provided a cash bonus of $300, and part-time hourly associates will receive $150. Associates will receive this money, totaling more than $350 million, by April 2. Walmart is even going the extra mile to accelerate their quarter’s scheduled bonus, which associates will receive a month early.

“Walmart associates have gone above and beyond the call of duty in serving our customers during these unprecedented times,” said Doug McMillon, President and CEO of Walmart. “We want to reward our associates for their hard work and recognize them for the work that is in front of us.” The average wage of a Walmart employee is $14.26.

The biggest fear among executives is the company’s supply chain, which brings products from distribution centers to stores. The chain is working at maximum to meet customer demand.

“We’ve had experience with the virus already in China, with our workforce there, which has given us some key insights and learning from our stores over there,” said Dan Bartlett, Walmart’s executive vice president of corporate affairs, in an interview with CNBC. “But here in the United States, the 1.3 million employees we have, are just performing Herculean efforts not only in stores, but also our supply chains, distribution centers, and supply centers.”

Bartlett said the current “crisis is unique,” because unlike other natural disasters which create “pockets of stress” in the supply chain, the coronavirus has placed the “entire system under stress.” Walmart has reacted to this by cutting back on its store hours. Walmart locations that were once 24/7 now find themselves open during regular daylight hours. Bartlett says this time is now required for the stores to be cleaned and the shelves restocked.

Hunter DeRensis is a senior reporter for the National Interest. Follow him on Twitter @HunterDeRensis.

Image: Reuters.