United News of Bangladesh

McDonald’s announced on Monday that it plans to hire up to 375,000 restaurant workers across the U.S. this summer — marking its largest seasonal hiring effort in years. The fast-food giant, based in Chicago, says the increase in job openings is partially driven by its ongoing U.S. expansion. With over 13,500 U.S. locations currently, McDonald’s aims to open 900 additional restaurants by 2027. To make the announcement, U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer joined McDonald’s U.S. President Joe Erlinger at a location near Columbus, Ohio. “McDonald’s is creating economic momentum for its workers, communities, and the broader economy,” said Chavez-DeRemer. “By growing its workforce, the company is encouraging investment and serving as a model for industry-wide growth—whether it's a stepping stone to another career or a path to advancement within the company.” McDonald’s Quarter Pounder back on the menu after testing rules out beef patties as E. coli source McDonald’s emphasized that the roles are intended to be permanent, though its overall workforce likely won’t exceed 1.1 million employees due to regular staff turnover. The company last undertook a major summer hiring campaign in 2020, when it planned to recruit 260,000 employees as it reopened locations closed early in the pandemic. This year’s hiring push reflects optimism that customer traffic at U.S. restaurants will pick up as 2025 progresses. However, in the first quarter of this year, McDonald’s U.S. same-store sales fell by 3.6% — the steepest drop since early 2020 — as inflation-weary lower- and middle-income customers spent less on fast food. Despite the dip, McDonald’s isn’t alone in its positive outlook. According to the National Restaurant Association, restaurants and bars in the U.S. added over 46,000 jobs in March and April. Chipotle also announced earlier this year its plans to hire 20,000 workers. Overall job growth remains steady, with 177,000 jobs added in April across the U.S., even amid ongoing economic uncertainty. Monday’s announcement also highlighted the 10th anniversary of McDonald’s Archways to Opportunity initiative. The program has provided educational support — including tuition assistance, English language training, and career services — to over 90,000 employees. So far, the program has awarded $240 million in tuition assistance. Anamaria Monterroso, who has worked at McDonald’s for eight years, said the program is helping her become the first in her family to earn a college degree. She’s currently pursuing a degree in human resources at Colorado Technical University. “Working in fast food doesn’t mean your aspirations have to stop,” Monterroso said.

More than three decades after it became the first American fast food restaurant to open in the Soviet Union, McDonald’s said Monday that it has started the process of selling its business in Russia, another symbol of the country’s increasing isolation over its war in Ukraine. The company, which has 850 restaurants in Russia that employ 62,000 people, pointed to the humanitarian crisis caused by the war, saying holding on to its business in Russia “is no longer tenable, nor is it consistent with McDonald’s values.” The Chicago-based fast food giant said in early March that it was temporarily closing its stores in Russia but would continue to pay its employees. Without naming a prospective Russian buyer, McDonald’s said Monday that it would seek one to hire its workers and pay them until the sale closes. CEO Chris Kempczinski said the “dedication and loyalty to McDonald’s” of employees and hundreds of Russian suppliers made it a difficult decision to leave. “However, we have a commitment to our global community and must remain steadfast in our values,” Kempczinski said in a statement, “and our commitment to our values means that we can no longer keep the arches shining there.” As it tries to sell its restaurants, McDonald’s said it plans to start removing golden arches and other symbols and signs with the company’s name. It said it will keep its trademarks in Russia. Also Read: McDonalds raising US workers pay in company-owned stores Western companies have wrestled with extricating themselves from Russia, enduring the hit to their bottom lines from pausing or closing operations in the face of sanctions. Others have stayed in Russia at least partially, with some facing blowback. French carmaker Renault said Monday that it would sell its majority stake in Russian car company Avtovaz and a factory in Moscow to the state — the first major nationalization of a foreign business since the war began. For McDonald’s, its first restaurant in Russia opened in the middle of Moscow more than three decades ago, shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was a powerful symbol of the easing of Cold War tensions between the United States and Soviet Union, which would collapse in 1991. Now, the company’s exit is proving symbolic of a new era, analysts say. “Its departure represents a new isolationism in Russia, which must now look inward for investment and consumer brand development,” said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, a corporate analytics company. He said McDonald’s owns most of its restaurants in Russia, but because it won’t license its brand, the sale price likely won’t be close to the value of the business before the invasion. Russia and Ukraine combined accounted for about 9% of McDonald’s revenue and 3% of operating income before the war, Saunders said. McDonald’s said it expects to record a charge against earnings of between $1.2 billion and $1.4 billion over leaving Russia. Its restaurants in Ukraine are closed, but the company said it is continuing to pay full salaries for its employees there. McDonald’s has more than 39,000 locations across more than 100 countries. Most are owned by franchisees — only about 5% are owned and operated by the company.    

McDonald's chief executive officer has been pushed out of the company after violating company policy by engaging in a consensual relationship with an employee, the corporation said Sunday.