• Kroger will hold a hiring event on Thursday to fill 10,000 jobs.
• The positions will be for the grocer's retail, e-commerce, pharmacy, manufacturing and logistical operations segments, across all its brands.

Kroger announced Monday that it will hold a hiring event on Thursday to fill 10,000 jobs across its businesses.

The event will offer virtual and in-store interviews for prospective staff in its retail, e-commerce, pharmacy, manufacturing and logistical operations. In addition to its namesake Kroger stores, the company operates brands that include Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter and Ralphs.

The company has an average national wage of more than $15.50 per hour. In March, Kroger said it planned to invest $350 million to raise the average associate wage to $16 per hour. In a press release, Kroger added its benefits include a tuition reimbursement program, mental health counseling, and discounts on groceries, electronics and streaming services.

Retailers have been raising wages in an increasingly competitive market for labor.

Kroger has been hiring staff since the beginning of the year, but this is its first nationwide hybrid hiring event. The company added 100,000 employees during the Covid pandemic, but a Kroger spokesperson said many of those workers have since returned to their pre-pandemic employers.

The grocer had 468,000 employees at the end of 2020, a figure the company says is similar what it had before the pandemic.

Kroger's stock is up nearly 23% since January.

Correction: Kroger spent $1.5 billion on extra pay and bonuses during the coronavirus pandemic. An earlier version of this story misstated Kroger's compensation during the health crisis.