McDonald’s Launches Massive Summer Hiring Drive For 375,000 Workers Amid US Expansion Plans And Slumping Sales – McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD)

McDonald’s Corp. MCD announced Monday one of its largest hiring initiatives in years, seeking to add 375,000 employees across U.S. locations this summer as the fast-food giant pursues aggressive expansion despite recent sales challenges.

What Happened: Joe Erlinger, McDonald’s U.S. president, unveiled the hiring plan alongside Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer at a location near Columbus, Ohio, reported NBC News. The initiative aligns with McDonald’s strategy to open 900 new U.S. restaurants by 2027 and bolster staffing for increased summer demand.

The announcement comes amid broader economic headwinds for the company. Earlier this month, McDonald’s reported its worst quarterly U.S. same-store sales performance since 2020, with a 3.6% decline that missed analyst forecasts of a 1.7% drop.

Executives cited diminishing foot traffic as the primary factor, noting middle-income consumer visits fell by “nearly double digits” alongside continued weakness among low-income customers.

“People are just visiting less,” McDonald’s told investors during its earnings call, pointing to spending cutbacks as consumers increasingly skip meals out or eat breakfast at home to save money.

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Why It Matters: The hiring push coincides with the President Donald Trump administration’s focus on domestic business investment. The White House recently reported securing over $5 trillion in new U.S. investment commitments during Trump’s first 100 days in office, including major pledges from technology companies.

McDonald’s leadership has explicitly acknowledged a “divided U.S. economy” where low and middle-income consumers face persistent pressure from inflation despite strong traffic among higher-income patrons.

The company, which currently operates over 38,000 locations globally, continues emphasizing value offerings, including $5 meal deals to attract price-sensitive customers in this challenging consumer environment.

Image Via Shutterstock

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.