Couriers from JD deliver parcels in Wuhan, Hubei province. [Photo by Zhou Guoqiang/For China Daily]

Chinese e-commerce giant JD and Dada Group, a platform for local on-demand retail and delivery, announced they will provide more than 35,000 jobs amid the coronavirus outbreak.

JD Logistics, the logistics arm of JD, will offer more than 20,000 first-line positions, which cover warehousing, sorting, delivery and driving, while Dada plans to recruit 10,000 deliverymen in 2,400 counties, districts and cities, and 5,000 sorters and packers that work in brick-and-mortar stores in over 30 cities nationwide.

In addition, JD's fresh food stores 7Fresh will provide temporary jobs, such as cashiers and customer service staff across the nation.

The catering industry has been hit hard by the spread of the virus in China as a big part of the population has chosen to stay at home to prevent gathering in public places.

Alibaba's local services company has also launched a job-sharing platform to attract employees who are working in restaurants to shift into being deliverymen temporarily.

The company aims to recruit 10,000 deliverymen through the platform, and the merchants listed on Ele.me and Koubei can recommend job opportunities for their employees, who can arrange their own time flexibly to receive orders and deliver the food for their own stores.