The US-owned fast-food chain McDonald’s is looking to hire 20,000 people and open 50 outlets in 2021. A further 100 will be added over the next two years, UK and Ireland CEO Paul Pomroy said.
Pomroy said, “It’s fantastic to be able to offer an additional 20,000 people an opportunity to work with us.
“There is no doubt the pandemic has had a huge impact on many people’s employment opportunities and threatened the future of high streets up and down the country. The moves we’ve announced today reflect our commitment to continue to innovate and invest in the local communities and economies we serve.”
McDonald’s currently has more than 1,400 restaurants, run by local franchisees, across UK and Ireland, employing more than 130,000 people.
Pomroy admitted, that it was “getting harder and harder to recruit”.
Trade industry body UK Hospitality has recently described a staffing crisis across the industry with a vacancy rate of 9% or 188,000 workers, following more than a year of closures and restrictions.
McDonald’s said in April that, globally, sales in the first quarter had surpassed 2019 levels, helped by strong performance in its US home market.
Outside America, it said it did well in Australia and Canada though continued to be held back in many markets by COVID-19 restrictions.
The company has emerged relatively unscathed from the pandemic, thanks in part to its delivery and drive-through offerings. Global comparable sales were down 7.7 per cent in 2020 from the previous year.
