The Kroger Co. announced this week that its family of stores is hiring to fill an estimated 11,000 positions in its supermarket divisions, including nearly 2,000 management positions.

The number would be on par with recent years. Kroger says it created 10,000 jobs in 2017 and 12,000 in 2016. Those figures do not include jobs created as a result of capital investment, nor do they include increases that resulted from mergers.

"Over the last decade, Kroger has added 100,000 new jobs in communities across America," says Tim Massa, Kroger's group vice president of human resources and labor relations. "In addition to fueling the U.S. economy, many of our supermarket jobs are an opportunity for associates to grow and advance their careers."

The company also says it is investing an incremental $500 million in associate wages, training and development over the next three years as part of Restock Kroger.