Kroger says it will hire 20,000 more workers

NEW YORK (AP) — Supermarket chain Kroger said Friday it will hire about 20,000 workers to fill permanent jobs.

Kroger Co. is the largest U.S. supermarket operator and it runs Ralph's, Fry's, and other chains. The company had 375,000 full- and part-time employees as of Feb. 1 and says it has created around 40,000 new jobs in the past six years.

Kroger said the jobs are now available and said it hopes to fill them as soon as possible. It described them as a mix of full- and part-time positions but did not offer more specific details. The company said many of its entry-level jobs start as part-time positions and can turn into full-time jobs.

Shares of the Cincinnati company picked up 47 cents to $52.32 in afternoon trading.