Amid sagging sales and stiff competition, the company starts a hiring campaign that tops its post-pandemic reopening drive.
McDonald’s announced May 12 that it will soon undergo its largest hiring campaign in years, aiming to add up to 375,000 restaurant employees across the United States this summer, all while the fast-food giant faces declining sales and heightened competition in its home market.
The company, headquartered in Chicago and operating more than 13,500 U.S. locations, attributed the surge in job openings to both seasonal demand and an ambitious expansion plan, executives said during a Monday news conference. McDonald’s intends to open 900 additional restaurants nationwide by 2027.
The hiring initiative was unveiled during an event near Columbus, Ohio, where U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer joined McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger to make the announcement.
“McDonald’s is sparking a ripple effect of prosperity for our workers, communities, and the economy. 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,” Chavez-DeRemer said.
This summer’s hiring push surpasses the company’s last major recruitment effort in 2020, when McDonald’s sought to bring on 260,000 new workers as it reopened restaurants shuttered during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The hiring initiative comes at a time when McDonald’s is grappling with a notable decline in U.S. sales. In the first quarter of 2025, U.S. same-store sales fell 3.6 percent, marking the steepest drop since the pandemic. The company also reported a 1 percent decline in global comparable sales, with consolidated revenues and operating income each falling by 3 percent. Earnings per share dipped to $2.67, down 1 percent from a year ago.
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McDonald’s executives point to economic pressures on lower- and middle-income consumers as a key factor behind the downturn. “A divided U.S. economy where low- and middle-income consumers are being weighted down by the cumulative impact of inflation and heightened anxiety about the economic outlook,” said Chris Kempczinski, McDonald’s chairman and CEO, during a recent earnings call.
Store visits in the first quarter dropped 2.6 percent from the same period last year, according to a Placer.ai survey.
“McDonald’s has a 70-year legacy of innovation, leadership, and proven agility—all of which give us confidence in our ability to navigate even the toughest of market conditions and gain market share,” Kempczinski said during the earnings call.
The National Restaurant Association reported that U.S. restaurants and bars added more than 46,000 jobs in March and April, and Chipotle in February announced plans to hire 20,000 workers.
Over the past five years, McDonald’s has opened or refurbished 920 locations, while competitors like Chipotle and Yum Brands have rapidly expanded their footprints.
Patrizia Porrini, a management professor at Long Island University, said in a statement cited by Placer.ai’s survey that McDonald’s faces a struggle to attract cost-conscious consumers back to its restaurants.
“Brand-wise, it is a Goliath; however, that may very well be its Achilles’ heel, facing competition from the growing appreciation for simpler foods,” she said. “McDonald’s brand recognition will pull it through and keep it growing, but it has and will face a real struggle: encouraging consumers to return for value after leaving with pricey meals.”
Monday’s announcement also marked the 10th anniversary of McDonald’s Archways to Opportunity program, which provides tuition assistance, English lessons, and career services to employees. The company said more than 90,000 workers have benefited from the initiative, receiving $240 million in tuition assistance alone.
Anamaria Monterroso, an eight-year McDonald’s employee, credited the program with helping her pursue a college degree. “Just because you work in fast food doesn’t mean your dreams end there,” she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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