The company is focusing on staffing its 13,000 U.S. restaurants while preparing to open 900 new locations over the next two years. The announcement was made in Ohio alongside Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
McDonald’s, one of the largest employers in the U.S., reports that about 1 in 8 Americans have worked for the company. Around 800,000 people are currently employed at its U.S. restaurants. However, this hiring initiative won’t significantly increase that number due to the chain’s high employee turnover, which is common in the fast food industry.
Typically, staffing is managed by franchisees, and McDonald’s rarely rolls out national hiring pushes. Seasonal hiring is more common at companies like Chipotle or UPS, but McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger emphasized that investing in employees benefits both the business and the communities it serves.
The timing of this employment drive is noteworthy, especially as it follows a period of declining sales. The company recently posted its second straight quarter of losses, with same-store sales in the U.S. dropping 3.6%—the worst decline since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lower-income customers have reduced their spending sharply, and now middle-income consumers are following suit. CEO Chris Kempczinski noted that this shift indicates broader economic pressure affecting consumer behavior across all segments.
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