Pay and benefits remain Dollar General's strongest retention tools

Compensation still does the heaviest lifting in retention, and the latest worker sentiment points straight at the pressure points Dollar General leaders know too well: half of U.S. workers said they would quit within three months if they felt financially secure, 60% would leave for higher pay, and 78% ranked compensation among the top factors when weighing a new job.

That matters on a Dollar General sales floor because the company’s own staffing model leaves little slack. Its 2026 annual filing says a typical store generally has one store manager, one or more assistant store managers, and four or more sales associates, with staffing levels varying by store volume and operating hours. When pay feels too low or schedules keep shifting, a store with a thin bench does not just lose a worker. It loses coverage for the next shift, the next truck, and the next customer rush.

Dollar General has been tracking that problem from the inside. In filings dated January 31, 2025, and January 30, 2026, the company said it monitors employee applicant flow, staffing levels and employee turnover, especially at the store manager level, to measure the success of its compensation and benefits programs and its ability to attract qualified employees. That is a retention metric, but it is also a warning sign: if wages, hours or benefits do not hold up in practice, turnover shows up where the store is most exposed.

The survey data also draws a sharper line between why workers stay and why they leave. Seventy-six percent of respondents pointed to financially driven reasons, including pay, benefits or security, for staying put. Only 14% cited career growth and 9% cited loyalty. For Dollar General, that argues for a retention playbook built around immediate realities, not broad talk about culture. Stable scheduling, affordable health coverage, paid leave that actually works in an emergency, and quicker access to cash matter more than slogans about engagement.

Dollar General’s public employee messaging already leans on that reality. The company says it offers award-winning training and development, internal promotion, debt-free degrees, tuition reimbursement and financial support when disaster strikes. Workforce Edge also said in 2022 that it partnered with Dollar General to give full-time employees access to employer-paid degree programs through Strayer University and Capella University. Those benefits can help with retention, but only if hourly workers can also afford to stay long enough to use them.

The broader backdrop is harder to ignore. The U.S. Department of Labor said in May 2023 that nine inspections in four states found Dollar General workers exposed to obstructed exits, fire hazards and electrical hazards. The chain operated about 19,000 stores and 28 distribution centers across 47 states at the time, with more than 173,000 workers. Fast Company later reported a roughly $12 million safety settlement. Add in the Economic Policy Institute’s finding, cited by CBS News, that more than 90% of Dollar General workers earned under $15 an hour, and the retention story becomes clear: pay and benefits may bring people in, but schedule stability, safety and day-to-day affordability decide whether they stay.