Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, Dollar General is staffing up.
The Goodlettsville, Tenn.-based company announced on Monday that it is looking to hire 50,000 additional workers by the end of April as it keeps up with “the heightened demand for household essentials” caused by the coronavirus crisis.
“We are proud to serve as one of America’s essential retailers, and we believe our customers are relying on us now more than ever to provide an affordable, convenient retail option,” Kathy Reardon, SVP and chief people officer, said in a statement. “The Dollar General family continues to do its part in helping our customers and neighbors during these unprecedented times. We invite individuals looking to start or grow a career, as well as for those whose job may be temporarily impacted by COVID-19, to apply for opportunities.”
Dollar General currently operates over 16,300 stores across 45 U.S. states, along with 17 distribution centers and five cold storage facilities. The discount chain expects most positions to be temporary as it seeks to keep up with a coronavirus-related surge in demand.
Watch on FN
Dollar General’s hiring spree comes at a time when many fashion and footwear retailers have been forced to close stores as states including New York, California and Illinois order nonessential businesses to close temporarily. Retailers including Nordstrom, Nike and Ralph Lauren have pledged to pay their employees during an initial closure period of about two weeks. But should the current social distancing situation extend longer, some retail jobs could be in jeopardy.
At the same time, grocery stores and big-box chains have seen a surge in demand as shoppers stock up as rising coronavirus fears. Amazon is hiring 100,000 delivery drivers and warehouse workers to keep up with orders, and it is raising wages by $2 an hour for employees in the U.S. and Canada. Walmart is looking for 150,000 full-time, part-time and temporary workers across its distribution and fulfillment centers. And Kroger, the nation’s largest supermarket chain, announced it is adding 10,000 new positions in an effort to keep up with consumer demand.
