Big Lots staffing pressure varies as state job markets diverge

May unemployment fell in six states and rose in two, a split that changes how hard Big Lots has to work for cashiers, stockers and assistant managers from one market to the next. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the U.S. unemployment rate held at 4.3 percent, unchanged from both April and a year earlier, while nonfarm payroll employment increased in only two states and was essentially unchanged in 48 states and the District of Columbia.

That matters because Big Lots is no longer spread across its old national footprint. The company says its post-bankruptcy business will operate 219 stores in 15 states across the Midwest, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Big Lots filed voluntary Chapter 11 petitions on Sept. 9, 2024, and bankruptcy filings identified 344 store closures across 41 states before Variety Wholesalers bought 219 stores out of bankruptcy. The first reopening wave began on April 10, 2025, with nine stores across six states.

For Big Lots workers, the six states where unemployment fell are the tightening markets. Those are the places where store managers usually have to move faster, polish onboarding and offer more predictable scheduling to keep good people from leaving for another retailer. In those markets, hiring can slow because vacancies stay open longer, and the people who do accept jobs often have more room to push on starting pay, weekend shifts and training time.

The two states where unemployment rose are the softer markets. Stores there may see a wider pool of applicants, which can make it easier to fill openings, but it does not guarantee better staffing on the sales floor. Managers still have to screen for reliability, customer-service fit and the ability to survive the pace of a discount retailer, especially when payroll growth is flat almost everywhere else.

The practical lesson for Big Lots employees is that labor pressure is now local, not national. A store in a tight state can offer more leverage on hours and wages, while a store in a looser state may attract more applicants but still struggle to keep a stable crew. The BLS state tables also mix residency-based unemployment with establishment payroll data, which is why one market can look steady on paper and still feel short-handed inside the store.