Home Depot faces rising labor costs as benefits stay a big factor

Workers do not compare jobs on hourly pay alone, and the latest federal data makes that plain. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that employer costs for civilian workers averaged $49.32 per hour worked in March 2026, with private-industry compensation at $46.60 an hour. In that private-sector total, wages and salaries averaged $32.60 and benefits averaged $14.01, a reminder that the real cost of staffing a retail floor runs well beyond the posted wage.

That matters at The Home Depot, where recruiting and retention are tied to more than the number on a hiring sign. The company says it offers medical, dental and vision coverage, and its $120 vision plan is free to all associates. Full-time associates are eligible for medical coverage, spending accounts and health savings accounts, while other benefits depend on role, status and location. Home Depot also says associates, along with spouses, children and household members, have access to six counseling sessions per situation each year through its employee assistance program, along with paid maternity and parental leave, paid holidays and disability coverage.

For a chain with 2,028 stores in the United States and territories, 182 in Canada and 140 in Mexico, the math of labor is inseparable from the math of service. Home Depot said in its 2025 annual report that knowledgeable associates and on-shelf availability are critical to the store experience. That is the daily reality in garden centers during spring rush, in pro aisles when contractors need product fast, and on crowded aisles when customers are trying to finish a weekend project before the clock runs out.

Home Depot has long framed internal development as part of the package. The company says more than 87 percent of store leadership started as hourly associates. It also says nearly half of seasonal associates stay on after spring, a sign that the company uses busy seasons as both a staffing test and a recruiting funnel. Over 12 years, Home Depot says it granted more than $131 million in tuition reimbursement, and it said associates completed nearly 22 million training courses in 2017.

That is the real labor story behind the BLS numbers. When benefits, training, leave and scheduling stability carry as much weight as wages, store managers are not just filling shifts. They are deciding whether an associate sees a job, or a career path built around the floor, the department and the customer.