“We continue to make progress with technology,” Costco CFO Gary Millerchip said in a May earnings call.
Cheng Xin/Getty Images
Costco has accelerated its digital strategy in recent years.
To support its changing business, the company is building up a US tech workforce.
Software engineers can make a base salary of $130,000 to $215,000, labor filings show.
Costco didn’t become the third-largest retailer in the world by rushing into things.
The warehouse club has instead taken a conservative approach to growing its business over the last four decades.
That has served the retailer well, but a robust digital strategy is no longer optional for companies that wish to remain competitive in 2025.
“We continue to make progress with technology,” CFO Gary Millerchip said during Costco’s earnings call in May. “One of our key focus areas is building capabilities to deliver more personal, relevant experiences for our members, helping them save time and money.”
Costco is still well behind Walmart in adopting and developing tech and hiring and training a workforce to support it, but the store is by no means sitting on its hands.
Last month, Reuters reported that Costco plans to open a brand new tech hub in India, staffed with 1,000 workers to start — the company’s first such facility.
It’s also continuing to hire for tech roles in the US, according to Department of Labor filings.
The disclosures show Costco sought to hire 69 workers through the H-1B visa program during the first half of this reporting year, largely in software development, data science, and information security. Costco’s IT jobs board had 53 open positions as of August 7.
This year’s work visa figure is consistent with last year’s at this time. It is up from the 55, 49, and 26 filings in the corresponding periods for each of the years going back to 2021.
That’s still a far cry from Walmart’s visa requests for 1,750 workers and below Target’s 94 filings for this reporting year so far.
Pay rates in the data are compared to industry standards for US workers, and salaries for foreign-born workers in the report typically match or exceed the average compensation for a particular position. The compensation data only represents base salary and does not account for other benefits and perks.
Here’s a deeper look at some of the roles Costco disclosed for tech workers:
Software developers can make up to $215,000
Software Engineer: $130,000 to $215,000
Solution Architect: $166,300 to $181,800
Data Engineer: $155,000 to $176,500
Information security analysts start at $165,000
Security Engineer: $165,000 to $179,900
Security Analyst: $168,200
Compliance Engineer: $175,000
Security Architect: $193,800
Data scientists and database administrators can make up to $225,000
Cheryl Orlov, 55, loved living in California but longed to explore new cultures, food, and people.
In 2023, Orlov moved to Albania after discovering the country through a travel podcast.
In Albania, she feels more relaxed, pays less for housing, and has never been happier.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Cheryl Orlov, a 55-year-old from Los Angeles who moved to Albania in 2023. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
I spent 23 years living in the Los Angeles area, where my home was two miles from Redondo Beach. I owned a furniture company for 32 years, built from the ground up, and worked very hard to create a comfortable lifestyle for myself.
I had a full life in Los Angeles. I built a good community of friends and was very active, especially in endurance sports. I’m a lover of traveling and experiencing different cultures, and I’ve always said that the city is a great place to live if you can’t travel the whole world.
While I was happy living in Los Angeles, I still had an aching wanderlust.
Orlov and her dog in California.
Courtesy of Cheryl Orlov
I used to travel abroad one to two times a year and was satisfied for a while. But back in 2016, I went to Africa for a charity trip. I visited Uganda, Morocco, and South Africa, and during my visit, something in me switched: I was ready to move abroad, I just had to figure out how.
A few things stood in my way. I owned a couple of properties and had a full time business. But as the years passed — it took about seven — I started unloading my properties. I downsized my home, and I even began to dissolve my business, all for the dream of leaving the US.
I found out about Albania on a podcast
In April 2022, I was listening to an expat podcast, and a blogger being interviewed said to check out Albania. I’ve been to all seven continents and almost 50 countries, and Albania wasn’t even on my radar back then.
I started doing a lot of research. I watched videos on YouTube and even interviewed female solo travelers about their experiences in Albania. And in September 2022, my friend and I took a scouting trip there.
During my scouting trip, I hired a driver who took us from city to city. We wound up in Tirana, the capital of Albania. Initially, I did not want to live there based on what I had read online, but when I was physically there, I knew right away that this was my place.
Albania’s Southern Riviera.
Courtesy of Cheryl Orlov
Albania’s culture and history are so rich — it’s mind-blowing. Historically, it has strong influences from the Ottoman Empire. The country broke free from communism in the 1990s and is still developing.
Albania is very similar to California topographically. Although it’s a small country, it features the Albanian Alps and coastlines along the Adriatic and Ionian Seas.
I love the people of Albania; their hospitality is unmatched. They make you feel like you’re right at home and like your family.
I feel safe and comfortable where I live
After the scouting trip, I flew back to the US and started making arrangements to move. I sold almost everything I owned and continued dissolving my business.
I didn’t need to apply for a visa to visit Albania because Americans are allowed to stay for up to one year without one. After that, if we leave the country for 90 days, the one-year period resets when we return.
I found an apartment in Tirana, the capital city, by word of mouth on a Facebook group. An American had raved about the landlord, who had lived in America for six years.
I was moving my whole life to an unfamiliar place, so it was important to be in a good and safe area, in a building where people spoke English, and where I liked the landlord.
In September 2023, I moved to Tirana. I live in the city, but in a quiet neighborhood where a lot of Albanians live — immigrants and expats tend to live closer to the city center.
Tirana, Albania, town square.
Fani Kurti/Getty Images
The building I live in is a five-unit villa where each level has its own apartment. I live on the ground level and have a two-bedroom, one-bath apartment. I have a good relationship with my landlord, and I wouldn’t say that’s the norm here, but I pay €400 ($466) a month.
My other bills are pretty affordable, too. I usually spend €20 to €30 ($23-$35) a week on food at the local market, and going out to dinner typically costs between €15 and €20 ($17-$23). Taking the bus costs about $0.50, and taxis are usually around €5.
I’ve never felt more like myself
Learning Albanian is tough, but one of the biggest challenges to living here is how often expats come and go. I’ve noticed that people usually stay for a year or two, then move on.
The impermanence is difficult for me — it’s just hard to keep saying goodbye. When I was in California, I didn’t have to worry about that as much. So, it’s something I’ve had to adjust to.
I don’t know if Albania will be my forever place, but still, I’m really happy here. I didn’t realize how stressed I was in America until I moved to Tirana.
While living here, I’m traveling more. From Albania, I can easily fly anywhere in Europe, Africa, or Asia — right now, I’m in Malaysia. I’ve been experiencing so many different cultures, and while that’s not for everyone, I feel like a more complete person.
Cheryl Orlov, at the Krujë Castle in Krujë, Albania.
Courtesy of Cheryl Orlov
Earlier this year, I finished dissolving the business. I’m not worried about being unemployed abroad, because I’ve been saving and building up my retirement since my 30s. While I don’t want to retire, I’m financially in a position to do so if I choose.
I do go back to the US from time to time to visit my friends and my family — my relationships are really important to me — but I don’t ever see myself moving back full-time.
I definitely wanted to leave the US earlier, but I believe everything happens for a reason. I wouldn’t do anything differently. I believe it’s never too late to start traveling or move to somewhere new.
Starmer and Macron Forge Pragmatic Migrant Deal Amid Ongoing Crisis
In a significant development within UK-French relations, Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron announced a transformative migrant agreement during a press conference on July 10, 2025, in London. The deal, structured to facilitate the return of 50 irregular migrants to France weekly while allowing for an equal number of verified asylum seekers to enter the UK, marks a pragmatic shift in tackling the ongoing small-boats crisis, reports 24brussels.
This initiative emerges as a response to escalating concerns surrounding migratory pressures, demonstrating Starmer’s Labour government’s commitment to resolving these challenges through cooperative strategies rather than mere political posturing.
Set to commence shortly after its announcement, the deal stipulates that by August 5, the UK will return up to 50 migrants each week, a critical measure aimed at addressing the perilous journeys undertaken by those crossing the Channel. In exchange, Britain will process and accept a corresponding number of asylum seekers with familial connections in the UK, effectively establishing a reciprocal system.
The “one in, one out” system is designed to disrupt the operations of people-smuggling networks by introducing a tangible deterrent against dangerous crossings. This approach contrasts starkly with the controversial Rwanda policy, previously associated with Starmer’s predecessor, which prioritized punitive measures over humane alternatives.
However, skepticism surrounds the deal’s efficacy. According to Home Office statistics, there were over 25,000 Channel crossings by July 2025, a substantial increase from the previous year, leading to concerns about the limited impact of returning 50 migrants weekly.
Critics including Nigel Farage have branded the agreement a “Brexit humiliation,” reflecting on the perceived failures stemming from the UK’s departure from the EU. Nonetheless, such critiques overlook the long-term objectives of the deal, which aims to establish trust, test viability, and ultimately create scalable solutions amidst the migratory impasse.
The legacy of Brexit complicates the current landscape; the UK’s exit from the EU’s Dublin Regulation in 2020 eliminated its capacity to return migrants to their first safe entry point. This shift has strained diplomatic ties with France, exacerbating cross-Channel migration challenges, as noted by Macron.
Starmer’s rapport with Macron has improved Anglo-French relations, resulting in a long-awaited bilateral framework that the previous Conservative governments struggled to establish. The success of this agreement is contingent upon its implementation, especially concerning legal compliance with the UN Refugee Convention and adherence to European human rights stipulations.
France has intensified its enforcement efforts, deploying resources to prevent dinghy crossings while supporting Starmer’s initiatives aimed at cracking down on illegal working in the UK. This focus on deterrence coupled with legitimate pathways for asylum claims is designed to challenge the narratives exploited by human traffickers.
The potential long-term implications of this deal could significantly reshape migratory incentives. As the initiative progresses, it may serve not just as a localized solution but a model for broader European cooperation on migration, especially considering rising pressures faced by EU countries like Italy and Greece.
Challenges persist, particularly regarding local tensions in surrounding French coastal towns, which are grappling with the impacts of increased migration. Meanwhile, internal political pressures in the UK, highlighted by the rise of parties like Reform UK, underscore the immigration debate’s volatility. It remains an imperative to handle the situation humanely, given the record number of crossings and associated fatalities in recent years.
In an era dominated by political gestures, the collaboration between Starmer and Macron signifies a departure toward constructive dialogue and mutual responsibility. While this pilot program may not yield immediate results, it is a step toward restoring trust in Anglo-French relations and illustrates a potential path forward in cooperative migration management.
Recruiter Kathy Lavinder often hesitates to post open roles because she receives too many résumés for niche roles.
Courtesy of Kathy Lavinder
When recruiter Kathy Lavinder posts open roles on job boards, she gets a “tsunami” of résumés.
She recruits for niche fields, and estimates that 80% of the applicants she gets aren’t qualified.
The number of résumés she gets highlights how hard the job search has become for some.
Veteran recruiter Kathy Lavinder now thinks twice before posting jobs.
She’s spent 25 years finding candidates for a narrow niche: corporate security, intelligence, and investigative roles — jobs that require very specific skills. Most people aren’t qualified to do them.
That doesn’t stop them from applying.
A few years ago, Lavinder might have gotten a couple of hundred résumés for a role. Now, almost any job she puts up gets more than that, and sometimes more than 500, she told Business Insider.
“It has been getting worse every single time I post something,” she said. “It used to be I’d get a robust response, and now I get a tsunami.”
The reasons aren’t hard to spot. The job market has cooled, especially for desk jobs, and many people’s searches are taking longer. On top of that, artificial intelligence tools can churn out custom résumés — and catapult them to employers — in seconds.
The trouble with ‘security’
Lavinder, the founder and executive director of SI Placement, also faces a challenge that’s specific to her industry: the word security itself.
She recruits for physical security roles — the kind where people protect corporate facilities, often in person. That’s distinct from cybersecurity. Yet you wouldn’t know it from her inbox.
When Lavinder posts a job, she’ll put in all caps that it’s NOT a cyber role. Yet, she said, she still gets flooded with IT résumés.
“I mean, I’m shouting at them: ‘This is not a cyber role,'” she said.
That mismatch is one reason Lavinder estimates that when she goes public with a job, about 80% of the applicants she gets aren’t qualified. As the number of résumés she gets has shot higher in recent years, she said, the effort required to slog through them often isn’t worth it.
“I really don’t like to use hyperbole, but I feel like I’m drowning sometimes in candidates that really aren’t responsive to the job post,” Lavinder said, referring to the number of people who aren’t suited for a position.
Résumé FOMO
Not posting jobs publicly helps her avoid the flood — but it comes with its own risk: missing the ideal candidate.
That person might not be job-hunting but instead “keeping their head down” at their current job, she said.
“They might love this opportunity,” Lavinder said. “They’re the ones who are going to miss out.”
She still occasionally posts open roles because she worries she’ll overlook someone good. Lavinder has joked with colleagues that going public with a job post is an act of “temporary insanity.”
She’ll then predict that, “by tomorrow, I will be complaining to you about the deluge, and I will pull it down.”
Unlike in years past, when Lavinder wants to fill a role today, she’ll often contact people individually through texts, emails, LinkedIn messages, or by picking up the phone. The more bespoke approach is a return to how she used to do recruiting, she said.
“It’s like throwing me back a decade or more in terms of my process,” Lavinder said. “Is this progress?”
‘It’s not Taylor Swift’
Lavinder uses platforms like LinkedIn to maintain ties with those in the fields she recruits for. She often posts career advice and about workplace trends. That can be fruitful, Lavinder said, because she has some 37,000 followers on LinkedIn.
“It’s not, you know, a million. It’s not Taylor Swift,” she said. But, “it’s a substantial population and a precise niche.”
Many of them are interested in the unique industries she traverses, Lavinder said. Yet even though she would like to share more about specific roles with her amassed network of industry insiders, Lavinder often hesitates.
“I think they would appreciate if I could occasionally pull back the curtain and actually tell them what I’m working on,” she said. “Instead, I’m pulling the curtain shut more and more.”
After a decade editing documentaries, Edward Wardrip is going to law school to help fix what he sees is a broken system for workers.
Courtesy of Edward Wardrip
After over a decade, Edward Wardrip is leaving documentary editing to attend UCLA Law School.
Documentary and reality TV workers lack union protections, unlike many other film industry sectors.
Wardrip aims to advocate for gig economy workers’ rights, including healthcare and fair pay.
This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with Edward Wardrip, who worked as a documentary editor for over a decade. He’s planning to attend UCLA Law School to become a labor attorney. It’s been edited for length and clarity.
I graduated from college in 2012, which was shortly after the financial crash, but when things were starting to pick up again.
I loved working in documentary. I mostly worked on PBS-style historical documentaries. That’s always been my favorite. It always felt like I was in school, still learning.
My first two mentors were both incredibly talented editors who lived solid, middle-class lives in New York. I was inspired by that.
I think the industry has changed. It was more plausible to have a middle-class life 10 years ago than it is now. But despite documentary and reality TV production increasing over the years, many workers feel like they haven’t reaped the benefits.
I spent the last couple of years fighting to unionize our section of the industry, which has been left behind by other film and TV unions.
Now, at 34 years old, I’m going to law school to learn how to fight for workers like myself.
Movie and TV unions are strong — but documentaries and reality TV are left out
The movie and TV industry is known for its strong unions. But it’s less common for documentary and reality TV projects to have a unionized crew.
It’s upsetting to open a streaming app, see your documentary or a friend’s documentary on the homepage, and know that none of the people who worked on it got healthcare.
The industry unions haven’t always adapted to the gig economy nature of documentary work. Even as documentary filmmaking and reality TV production have expanded dramatically, we rarely have a seat at the bargaining table with traditional unions.
A group of us in the Alliance of Documentary Editors formed an organizing committee. We found the traditional model of flipping one show at a time didn’t work for us. Documentaries are not multiple seasons. By the time you spend months organizing and negotiating a union contract for a documentary crew, it’s over. You’re on to the next thing.
We found out about the non-majority union model, which we thought made more sense for the fast-paced film and TV industry of this era. The organizing campaign is still ongoing. Many documentary filmmakers work on both big projects and small, independent projects. And we wanted to find a way to ensure everyone could have healthcare all the time, not just on the giant studio productions.
It was time for a change
I’ve worked only one union job, for 17 months in 2015 and 2016: “Spielberg,” an HBO documentary about Steven Spielberg. The healthcare was incredible. If there was an issue, you called the union and it was fixed. The claims above say that there is no healthcare for people in documentary films
That was the last documentaryunion job I’ve seen listed anywhere. I haven’t heard of anyone I know working another one since.
By 2024, my documentary film work was getting really, really scarce. I mean, it was very dead for a lot of people. I had to completely eat through my retirement savings just to stay afloat.
That’s the reality of freelance life. No one’s putting anything into a retirement check for me. I was doing it all myself.
Edward Wardrip was ready for a change.
Courtesy of Edward Wardrip
At 34, I looked around and thought, “This doesn’t feel worth it to me anymore.” I felt like I was on a dead-end road and I was never going to be able to retire. And I was still young enough that I could do something else.
But organizing a union energized me. I was passionate about labor law.
I just started studying at night and on the weekends for the LSAT. I did an online class with a bunch of 22-year-olds.
I got a 174 on the LSAT, which is the 98th percentile. UCLA gave me the best offer. And since I already live in Los Angeles, I could keep my apartment and stay relatively close to my relatives in California.
There’s a whole class of people in our economy who are doing what we have not typically considered union work.
Our jobs have really changed, and the gig economy has changed, and there’s this huge group of people who deserve healthcare and who are not getting it. I want to fight for them.
