America’s best employer is an old-fashioned grocery store.Trader Joe’s was recently ranked as the best place to work among large companies, according to a new report by Forbes and Statista.
The report — which surveyed 50,000 workers at companies with over 5,000 employees — found that when it came down to a range of factors like atmosphere, remuneration and working conditions, the Aldi-owned grocery chain topped the list.
America’s favorite value airline, Southwest Airlines, and pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly (LLY) followed in second and third place, respectively.
Forbes and Statista also looked for the top midsize employers and found that TripAdvisor, Penguin Random House, and the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin topped the list.
Trader Joe’s employees are the happiest
Trader Joe’s first opened in Pasadena in 1967, founded by San Diego native Joe Coulombe.
Focusing on a college-educated market that “would want something different,” the Stanford MBA graduate wanted to create a store that was similar to, but not quite a 7-11. The store was geared towards “overeducated and underpaid people,” he revealed in a 2011 interview with the Los Angeles Times.