Target hiring conditions vary widely as metro job markets diverge

That spread matters inside Target stores because labor is not scarce or abundant in the same way everywhere. In places like Rapid City, South Dakota, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota-Minnesota, where unemployment was 1.7%, Target is likely competing for workers in a tighter market, where other employers can also pull from a limited pool. In Fresno, California, where the metro unemployment rate reached 8.1%, the company may see more applicants, but workers may have fewer outside options and a different kind of leverage over schedules, hours and job changes. The largest year-over-year unemployment-rate declines the BLS listed were in Sandusky, Ohio; Kokomo, Indiana; Eagle Pass, Texas; Mansfield, Ohio; and Toledo, Ohio, a reminder that even neighboring markets can move in different directions.

Target’s own hiring setup is built around that local variation. Its careers site recruits by location, lets applicants search by city or zip code, and says some applications require work-availability information. Current team members are directed to Workday Career Hub, which underscores how much internal mobility matters when a store cannot find enough outside candidates fast enough. Target also said in its 2025 annual report that U.S. hourly team members in stores and supply chain facilities have a starting wage range of $15 to $24 an hour, as the company keeps pushing in-stocks, fast fulfillment and store training and support.