NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Kroger says it plans to hire 10,000 workers.

The announcement Monday came a week after Walmart, the No. 1 grocer in the world, said it was adding 10,000 jobs in the United States.

A spokesman for Kroger said the 10,000 jobs range from part-time clerks and cashiers to department heads and assistant store managers.

The grocery chain added 12,000 employees last year, including 9,000 veterans. It has added more than 86,000 jobs over the past eight years and employs a total of 443,000 people in 35 states and Washington, D.C.

Kroger is facing tough online competition from Walmart and Amazon. Kroger and other grocers, like Whole Foods and Supervalu, got squeezed last year by declining food prices.

But the overall job market continues to strengthen. The unemployment rate dipped to 4.7% in December, which was the 75th consecutive month of job gains.

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