workforce expansion

In one of its most ambitious hiring efforts in recent years, McDonald’s announced plans on Monday to recruit up to 375,000 new employees across its U.S. restaurants this summer. The initiative marks the fast-food giant’s largest seasonal workforce expansion since 2020. This massive recruitment push, which will include positions at both company-owned and franchised outlets, comes as McDonald’s gears up for continued U.S. growth. The company currently operates over 13,500 restaurants nationwide and aims to add 900 new locations by 2027. U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer joined McDonald’s U.S. President Joe Erlinger at a restaurant near Columbus, Ohio, to announce the hiring campaign. She praised the move, saying it would “create a ripple effect of prosperity” by supporting workers, energizing communities, and setting a growth benchmark for the industry. Importantly, McDonald’s clarified that the roles being offered are permanent, not just temporary summer jobs. However, due to the naturally high turnover in the fast-food sector, the company doesn’t anticipate a significant net increase in its current U.S. workforce of approximately 1.1 million. The company’s previous major hiring surge came in 2020, when it added 260,000 workers to support the reopening of locations closed during the early stages of the pandemic. This year’s recruitment effort is viewed as a positive sign that restaurant traffic and consumer confidence may be on the rebound. McDonald’s did report a 3.6% drop in U.S. same-store sales during the first quarter of 2025—its sharpest decline since the pandemic began. The downturn was attributed to economic pressures, with lower- and middle-income customers reducing fast food spending amid inflation concerns. Still, the broader food service industry seems equally optimistic. According to the National Restaurant Association, restaurants and bars in the U.S. added over 46,000 jobs in March and April, and Chipotle recently shared plans to bring on 20,000 new team members. The announcement also marked the 10th anniversary of McDonald’s Archways to Opportunity program, which provides tuition assistance, English language training, and career development services. Since its inception, the program has supported over 90,000 employees and contributed $240 million in educational aid. One such beneficiary, Anamaria Monterroso, who has worked at McDonald’s for eight years, credited the program for helping her pursue a degree in human resources at Colorado Technical University. “Working in fast food doesn’t mean giving up on your dreams,” she said. With this robust hiring initiative, McDonald’s is not just expanding its operations—it’s reaffirming its role as a major employer and career enabler in the U.S. economy. Source: AP Image credit: Getty Images