Burlington expansion intensifies hiring competition for Dollar General workers

Burlington’s monthlong expansion is a reminder that Dollar General is not competing for workers in a vacuum. The New Jersey-based off-pricer is set to open 26 stores in May across 20 states, with launches scheduled for May 8, May 15, May 22 and May 29, giving hourly workers in those markets another place to compare pay, hours and advancement.

That matters because the retail labor pool remains active even as consumer spending turns uneven. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said job openings were unchanged at 6.9 million in March 2026, and it projects about 586,000 openings a year, on average, for retail sales workers over the decade. Those jobs still tend to carry evenings and weekends, which means schedules and manager support often decide whether an associate stays put or moves to a rival chain. For Dollar General stores, that puts added weight on the quality of shifts, not just the hourly wage on the posting.

Burlington’s pace is also notable on its own. The company said it expects to open about 100 net new stores in fiscal 2026, while another report put the target at at least 110 net new stores for the year. WWD described Burlington as the third-largest off-pricer and said that level of expansion would mark a record pace for the chain. Burlington said it had 1,212 stores in 46 states as of January 31, 2026, and its history stretches back to its first store in Burlington, New Jersey, in 1972.

That growth puts Burlington in the same low-cost real estate lane that Dollar General has used for years in rural and suburban markets. Both chains rely on small-footprint stores in shopping centers and strip malls, and both need workers who can stock, cashier, supervise and keep lines moving on tight payrolls. When Burlington opens nearby, it can pull from the same labor pool that feeds Dollar General’s cashiers, stockers, keyholders and assistant managers.

Dollar General’s own careers site says it is one of the fastest-growing retail companies in the United States and points to more than 30 distribution center locations, along with internal promotion and training, as part of its pitch. That is exactly why Burlington’s expansion matters to Dollar General employees: it shows that competition is coming not just from one rival, but from a broader set of value chains still adding stores and still fighting over the same frontline workers.