Unemployed? Dollar General bringing 1,000 new jobs to Georgia in 2017

A new Dollar General under construction at the Hopewell Church Road exit on Interstate 185 is just one among many stores slated for Georgia in 2017.

The company has plans to create 1,000 jobs statewide, according to a news release. The expansion will represent a 9 percent overall increase to the company’s workforce and “mark the largest one-year employee increase through organic store and distribution center growth in the company’s 78-year history,” the the release said. The company will build 1,000 stores nationwide, but the specific number and locations planned for Georgia are not being released at this time.

“Dollar General looks forward to welcoming new employees who want to grow with us as we expand throughout the states we serve,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s chief executive officer. “These new jobs reflect the organization’s commitment to seize growth opportunities and further deliver Dollar General’s value proposition of everyday low prices on quality merchandise to customers in 1,000 new locations in 2017.”

The expansion is part of the company’s new store growth plan and the opening of a new state-of-the-art distribution center in Jackson, Ga., according to the release. The land, purchased in May, sits in Butts and Spalding counties.

The new distribution center is expected to service more than 1,000 stores in the Southeast. It will be the 15th facility in the retailer’s growing distribution network.

Dollar General currently has more than 700 stores and over 5,000 employees in Georgia. Its 14 other distribution centers are located in Alabama, California, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.

“Dollar General’s decision to locate in Butts and Spalding Counties speaks volumes to the culture of collaboration that exists for business in Georgia,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Chris Carr. “We would like to congratulate everyone involved in this project, and we look forward to supporting Dollar General in its future growth in Georgia.”

To apply for one of the 1,000 jobs coming to the state, go to www.dollargeneral.com/careers.

This story was originally published February 6, 2017 at 1:18 PM with the headline "Unemployed? Dollar General bringing 1,000 new jobs to Georgia in 2017."