How many employees work at Cato?
The Cato Corp. (CATO) has approximately 6,683 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. Cato’s total headcount has declined 6.7% from 7,163 employees in 2023 to 6,683 in 2026.
Is Cato hiring right now?
Yes, Cato is actively hiring. Cato had 151 active job postings in 2026, a 3.4% increase from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About Cato’s Workforce
The Cato Corp. (CATO) is a Retail and Consumer Goods company that employs 6,683 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 9th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1946, the company is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina and trades on the New York Stock Exchange.
Cato's workforce has declined 6.7% from 2023 to 2026, down 0.5% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 6,683 in 2026 Q1 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in North America (85.6%), followed by South America (6.0%) and East Asia (5.6%).
Cato's functional groups are Finance and Operations (47.3%), Engineering (30.6%), and Sales and Marketing (22.0%). The average salary is $31,751, ranging from a median of $26,000 in North America to $2,000 in South Asia, down 1.1% year over year in 2026.
Cato's active job postings rose 3.4% in 2026 to 151, with new postings per month cooling from 188 in 2023 to 90 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is negative and broadly stable.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Ticker
- New York Stock Exchange: CATO
- Headquarters
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Founded
- 1946
- Industry
- Retail and Consumer Goods
- Employees
- 6,683
- YoY
- -0.5% (-137)
As of March 2026
Cato workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for Cato. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsCato Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- Cato had 6,683 employees in 2026, a 0.5% decline (-137) from 2025.
- Cato had 6,738 employees in 2025, a 2.4% decline (-272) from 2024.
- Cato had 7,010 employees in 2024, a 1.0% decline (-127) from 2023.
- Cato had 7,137 employees in 2023, a 0.5% increase (-111) from 2022.
Cato's total workforce has declined from 7,163 employees in 2023 to 6,683 in 2026.
The Cato Corp. quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 6,683 | -137 | -0.5% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 6,738 | -272 | -2.4% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 6,741 | -288 | -2.7% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 6,797 | -245 | -2.1% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 6,820 | -215 | -1.8% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 7,010 | -127 | -1.0% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 7,029 | -95 | -0.5% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 7,042 | -121 | -0.4% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 7,035 | -180 | -1.3% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 7,137 | -111 | +0.5% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 7,124 | -272 | -1.7% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 7,163 | -115 | +0.5% |
See Cato's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataCato Employee Count by Region (2026)
North America accounts for the largest share of Cato's global workforce with approximately 86% of total employees, followed by South America and East Asia.
Cato employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 5,706 | 85.6% |
| South America | 399 | 6.0% |
| East Asia | 374 | 5.6% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 58 | 0.9% |
| South Asia | 39 | 0.6% |
| Central America and the Caribbean | 23 | 0.3% |
| Northern Europe | 19 | 0.3% |
| Western Europe | 14 | 0.2% |
| Eastern Europe | 12 | 0.2% |
| Pacific Islands | 11 | 0.2% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataCato Employee Count by Department (2026)
Cato's employee groups are Finance and Operations (47.3%), Engineering (30.6%), and Sales and Marketing (22.0%).
Cato employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 3,143 | 47.3% |
| Engineering | 2,032 | 30.6% |
| Sales and Marketing | 1,463 | 22.0% |
Compare Cato's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataCato Employee Salary by Region (2026)
Cato's average employee salary is $31,751 globally. Employees in North America receive the highest compensation. Pay is lowest in South Asia, at a median of $2,000.
Cato median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| North America | $26,000 |
| East Asia | $10,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $7,000 |
| South America | $4,000 |
| South Asia | $2,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to Cato's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataCato Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- Cato had 151 active job postings in 2026, a 3.4% increase (-26) from 2025.
- Cato had 177 active job postings in 2025, a 6.4% increase (+11) from 2024.
- Cato had 166 active job postings in 2024, a 30.2% decline (-59) from 2023.
- Cato had 225 active job postings in 2023, a 39.6% decline from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 90 new roles/month, down from 150 in 2025 and 162 in 2024.
Cato's active job postings rose 3.4% in 2026 to 151, with new postings per month cooling from 188 in 2023 to 90 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataCato Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across Cato's workforce based on public professional data. Overall sentiment is negative and has held steady year over year in 2026.
Overall
Unlock the full sentiment breakdown by department, tenure, and trend over time.
Unlock SentimentSimilar Companies
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Frequently Asked Questions About Cato
- How fast is Cato growing?
- In 2026, Cato's headcount shrank 0.5% to 6,683 employees, down from 6,820 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are Cato employees located?
- Most Cato employees are based in North America (85.6% of headcount), followed by South America and East Asia.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at Cato?
- The average employee salary at Cato is approximately $31.8k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does Cato open per year?
- In Q1 2026, Cato opened 269 new job postings. In 2025, Cato opened 1,798 new job postings — about 150 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was Cato founded and where is it headquartered?
- Cato was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
- Compare Cato to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about Cato.
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