McDonald’s recently posted a startling quarterly earnings report, so dismal that Axios dubbed it the sign of a McRecession. Same-store sales (sales at locations open at least a year) reported a 3.6% slump, the most significant U.S. decline McDonald’s has seen since 2020, during the pandemic. However, the world’s largest fast food brand isn’t letting that slow down its growth. This week, McDonald’s announced a rapid expansion plan that includes opening 900 more locations in the United States by 2027 and adding 375,000 employees to its roster this summer.
On Monday, McDonald’s shared the exciting news that it is immediately beefing up its employee pool with a massive hiring spree this summer. It will also add to its number of restaurants, currently at 13,500 in the US alone.
“McDonald’s is sparking a ripple effect of prosperity for our workers, communities and the economy,” U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who joined McDonald’s U.S. President Joe Erlinger at a McDonald’s restaurant near Columbus, Ohio, for the hiring announcement, said. By expanding their workforce, the corporation will be driving investment and setting the standard for industry growth, whether as a launch pad for a different career or as a ladder for internal achievements.”
The new hires will be for permanent positions, but the company doesn’t expect its workforce to exceed 1.1 million by the end of summer, as many employees are coming and going at any given time. This is the biggest employee hiring spree since 2020, when McDonald’s announced plans to add 260,000 workers during the reopening process post-COVID.
“I often think about the time I spent working in our restaurants as a General Manager, and it was immediately clear that crew members are the heart and soul of this brand,” Erlinger said. “They go above and beyond to take care of our customers, and it’s our job to take care of and create opportunities for them. When you put on an apron for a shift at McDonald’s, you’re building skills you’ll carry with you for life.”
He added that it is a “win-win,” making the company “more competitive while also positively impacting the economic and social conditions of the communities where we do business.”
“Seventy years as a brand, and ten years into Archways to Opportunity, we’re reminded that one of the greatest impacts we can make is providing access to opportunity,” added Michael Gonda, Senior Vice President and Chief Impact Officer, North America. “Behind every counter and Drive Thru window is a story of someone building skills, pursuing education, or working towards their future ambition. These stories–in thousands of communities across the country–reinforce that McDonald’s is more than a restaurant: it’s an open door for so many getting their start and a place where potential takes root.”
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