Alongside US Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer on Monday, McDonald’s announced that it plans to hire up to 375,000 workers over the summer.
The company and Chavez-DeRemer celebrated McDonald’s 10-year anniversary of its "Archways to Opportunity" program, in which tuition assistance is provided to employees as well as assistance in achieving other education goals, such as earning a high school degree, per CNBC.
The announcement was the company’s biggest hiring goal in years. For comparison, the company set out to hire 260,000 workers as it was reopening dining rooms in 2020. The company aims to add 900 domestic locations by 2027.
McDonald’s is one of the nation’s largest private employers, with the company claiming that one out of every eight Americans has worked at its restaurants at one point in time or another.
"I often think about the time I spent working in our restaurants as a General Manager, and it was immediately clear that crew members are the heart and soul of this brand,” said Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald’s USA, per NBC 5. “They go above and beyond to take care of our customers, and it’s our job to take care of and create opportunities for them. When you put on an apron for a shift at McDonald’s, you’re building skills you’ll carry with you for life.”
This comes as the company has gotten closer to the Trump administration in recent months, with the company donating $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund in 2024, the first contribution from the company to an inaugural fund in more than a decade. Trump is a huge fan of the brand and spent a day working in a franchise during the 2024 election.
Chavez-DeRemer wrote, "With a pledge of up to 375,000 new hires nationwide, McDonald's is sparking a ripple effect of economic prosperity for our workers, communities, and economy. Thanks to POTUS’ leadership, the Golden Age is here."