This discount grocery store is raising its average hourly wage to $23, hiring more employees

Aldi, the family-owned discount supermarket chain, will raise its average hourly wage to $23 amid a hiring surge in anticipation of the upcoming holiday season.

In a Sept. 4 press release, Aldi announced that it will hire more than 13,000 store and warehouse associates as it prepares for one of the busiest times of the year in retail. The new and national average starting wages for Aldi employees will be “$18 and $23 per hour, respectively, based on market and position,” the chain specified.

Aldi, which has been named one of America’s Best Large Employers by Forbes, also promises current and prospective employees two additional incentives: robust benefits and opportunities for advancement. Employees working more than 30 hours a week have access to healthcare insurance, paid time off (including 100% paid parental and caregiver leave) and flexible scheduling. Aldi added that many store associates eventually attained store manager, leadership and corporate positions throughout their careers. Specifically, 70% of assistant store managers and over 30% of store managers started as store associates at Aldi. All executive leaders began their careers in an Aldi store, the chain said.

“Whether it’s our in-store team filling shelves with fresh produce, warehouse staff managing logistics, or drivers delivering our trending ALDI Finds, our employees fuel the quicker, easier and more affordable shopping experience our shoppers know and love,” Aldi president Atty McGrath said in a statement. “Our ability to attract and retain talent has always been key to our success, and we look forward to helping our new team members grow in their careers.”

Aldi’s recent hiring and expansion initiatives come more than a year after the grocery chain closed a store in Minneapolis' Northside community, described as a “key location for Black and impoverished Minneapolis neighborhoods" by the Minnesota Star Tribune.

“We are sad, frustrated, and angry that Aldi, one of the three main sources of fresh produce and basic necessities at an accessible price point in North Minneapolis, suddenly announced its permanent closure this week,” Appetite for Change, a North Minneapolis food security nonprofit, wrote in a statement at the time. “That said, we are not surprised.”

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They continued, saying the “Northside has a history of businesses coming to our neighborhoods and then abruptly exiting, leaving our community shaken by the instability.” Such abrupt closures are a common occurrence throughout the community and “cause gaps in essential goods or services that are not easily or swiftly replaced.”

Unphased by the impact of its closure, Aldi requested suggestions for new store locations in a social media post made just two days after its North Minneapolis location closed its doors.

“If we were looking for new store locations, any suggestions on where we should go next?” Aldi’s corporate account tweeted.

In its most recent press release, Aldi said it is looking to expand its team of more than 49,000 employees and continue adding new stores across the U.S.