Here's how many workers McDonald's intends to hire this summer

CHICAGO - McDonald’s said Monday that it will hire a lot of new restaurant employees this summer – it’s biggest hiring push in years. 

"McDonald’s is sparking a ripple effect of prosperity for our workers, communities and the economy," Lori Cavez-DeRemer, U.S. labor secretary, said at a McDonald’s restaurant near Columbus, Ohio, for the hiring announcement. "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."

McDonald’s to hire thousands of new employees

By the numbers:

McDonald’s said it plans to hire up to 375,000 U.S. restaurant employees this summer at both company-owned and franchised stores.

According to the fast food chain, this is partly due to a U.S. expansion. The company, which has more than 13,500 restaurants in the U.S., plans to open 900 more by 2027.

What they're saying:

"Here in Ohio, that means more than 20,000 jobs," McDonald's USA President Joe Erlinger said at the event. "That's 20,000 opportunities for people to gain new skills. That's 20,000 jobs where new crew will build connections with customers. That's 20,000 more ways McDonald's is making an impact."

McDonald’s last big hiring spree was during COVID-19 pandemic

The backstory:

McDonald’s last big summer hiring spree came in 2020, when it announced plans to add 260,000 workers. At the time, the company was reopening restaurants that were closed in the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

FILE - A sign stands outside of a McDonald's restaurant February 9, 2009, in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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In the January-March period, McDonald's U.S. sales at locations open at least a year — slumped 3.6%. That was the biggest U.S. decline McDonald’s has seen since the pandemic shuttered stores, restaurants, schools and other public spaces in 2020.

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McDonald’s said lower- and middle-income consumers, worried about inflation and the economic outlook, cut back on fast food during the January-March period.

But other restaurant operators seem to share its optimism. U.S. restaurants and bars added more than 46,000 jobs in March and April, according to the National Restaurant Association. Chipotle said in February that it hoped to hire 20,000 workers.

McDonald's celebrated the 70th anniversary of its brand in mid-April.