Kroger Invests in Employee Benefits

The Kroger Co. (Cincinnati) has announced that it will increase hiring with 11,000 new positions, 2000 of which will be management roles. To attract new talent, it will invest $500 million in associate wages and training and development efforts over the next three years.

Some of the benefits it will offer to employees include continuing education, part of its Feed Your Future program – offering up to $3500 in education annually and up to $21,000 over the course of employment – as well as allowing leave associated with education pursuits, according to CNBC. The grocer will also increase its 401(k) match program by 1 percent, to a 5-percent match.

Kroger is the latest retailer to compete for employees using its benefits programs. Walmart (Bentonville, Ark.) and CVS Health (Woonsocket, R.I.) both recently raised hourly minimum wages in anticipation of federally mandated minimum wage raises.