How to earn money as pandemic-fuelled slump bites

Many Australians are turning to temporary jobs to make money before the predicted doubling of unemployment rates caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Canstar Editor-at-Large Effie Zahos told Today that any Australian with a skill has a good chance of finding temporary work as stay-at-home orders, and self-isolation increase the demand for "odd jobs".

The number of jobs listed on apps such as Airtasker and task-based websites have boomed as people are forced indoors, she said.

Just having a car could prove lucrative.

Grocery pickups have spiked after Coles and Woolworth both enacted home delivery bans earlier in the month to combat panic-buying.

"The gig economy is playing a really important role here in giving ad hoc jobs or a bit more solid work," she said.

"If you have a skill, a tech skill, a fitness skill, whatever; the chances are there is a job there."

Personal trainers are also in high demand as people seek professional advice when setting up home gyms. So too are tech whizzes for computer support.

"If you are good at scanning, connecting printers, whatever, there is a big demand for that," she said.

"It seems like people in Perth are cleaning out their wardrobe, because there has been a huge demand, 86 per cent, a for people to them and fix their clothes."

While freelance apps can provide extra revenue, Zahos issued a warning to job-seekers not to put monetary needs over others.

"People who desperately do want some work should not put this against - if they are not feeling well - should not put their name up to go into someone's house to set up gym equipment," she said.

She also believes the odd-jobs demand on apps will eventually bottom out.

"People are flooding the platform. It is the demand and supply," she explained.

"There may be too many people looking for work and not enough people wanting the work."