Company: COST
Filing Date: 2025-10-08
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000909832-25-000101
Chunk: 16

Company: COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW
Filing Date: 2025-10-08
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 16
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 benefits for employees is our largest expense after the cost of merchandise and is carefully monitored.

Employee Base

At the end of 2025, we employed 341,000 employees worldwide. Approximately 95% are employed in our membership warehouses and distribution channels. Around 5% are represented by unions. We also utilize seasonal employees.

The total number of employees by segment was:

202520242023United States223,000 219,000 208,000 Canada55,000 53,000 51,000 Other International63,000 61,000 57,000 Total employees341,000 333,000 316,000 

Growth and Engagement

We believe that our warehouses are among the most productive in the retail industry, owing largely to the commitment and efficiency of our employees. We seek to provide them not merely with employment but careers. Many attributes of our business contribute to the objective. The more significant include: competitive compensation and benefits; a commitment to employee development and promoting from within; and a target ratio of at least 50% of our base being full-time employees. These attributes contribute to what we consider, especially for the industry, a high retention rate. In 2025, in the U.S. and Canada that rate was approximately 94% for employees who have been with us for at least one year.

Inclusion

The commitment to “Take Care of Our Employees” includes promoting an inclusive and respectful workplace. We strive for an environment where all employees feel that they belong, are accepted, included, respected and supported. We demonstrate leadership commitment to inclusion through consistent communication, employee development and education, support of diversity and inclusion initiatives within the organization, community involvement, and supplier inclusion. Listening to our employees is one of the ways Costco takes care of its workforce. In 2025, we hosted the Costco Connects meetings, its second annual Costco Connects campaign. These open listening sessions are an invitation for employees to talk about what is on their minds and what is impacting them both personally and professionally. This allows Costco leaders to engage with their employees on a deeper level and for employees to build connections with each other. This year we had approximately 200,000 employees participate globally. Costco continues its efforts to develop future leaders, including through our supervisor in training (SIT) programs in the U.S. and Canada. In 2025, approximately 7,500 hourly employees completed the 6-week course.

Well Being

We strive to provide our employees with competitive wages and excellent