Financial News
- 25 January 2012, 12:18
McDonald's To Create 2,500 New Jobs In UK
The fast food chain McDonald's has announced that it will create at least 2,500 new jobs across the UK in 2012.
More than half of the posts are expected to go to people under the age of 25, while an estimated 30% will go to first-time workers.
It will take McDonalds' UK workforce to 90,000 and comes after the creation of another 13,500 new jobs over the last three years.
The fast food giant has expanded its business with new restaurants, extended opening hours and the roll-out of new technology. Many outlets have also undergone major refurbishment.
Speaking on Jeff Randall Live, Jill McDonald, chief executive, McDonald's UK said: "There are fantastic opportunities for young people.
"With McDonald's we bring people in, we train them from day one, they can get national accredited qualifications, transferable skills or they can have a fantastic job at McDonald's; half my board started off working in restaurants."
She added: "We know that certainly our crew, the three things that are most important for them, is the ability to create a future for themselves, the ability to have a sense of family and the ability to work flexibly.
"A future is really important to young people."
The announcement came after a recent promotion by McDonald's on the micro-blogging site Twitter backfired.
The company's own Twitter advertising campaign, promoting happy farmer stories behind its food, became a viral for critics of the chain.
Tweeters hijacked the #McDstories hashtag to share their fast-food horror tales, resulting in a stream of tweets under the hashtag #McFail.
There are now over 1,200 McDonald's restaurants across Britain and Ireland, serving an estimated 2.5 million customers every day.
The majority (2,135) of the new jobs announced on Tuesday will be in England. Some 190 will be in Scotland, 125 in Wales and 50 in Northern Ireland.
With unemployment at a 17-year high and particularly prevalent among young people, the announcement was welcomed by the deputy prime minister Nick Clegg.
"I think this is exactly the kind of thing we need to give young people the confidence they need that they can get their feet on the first rung of the jobs ladder," he said at a visit to McDonald's training centre in East Finchley, London.
He praised the chain for its "excellent reputation for developing its staff with training and apprenticeship programmes."
what do you think?
Ron Cheetham
employ the same amount of people in health to fight the obesity rates that will no doubt ensue
tagliatellius
More McLitter making our country looking like a rubbish dump, their customers don't understand how to use litter bins.
Keith Harrison
Just a thought, but surely SOME of the current unemployed would be pleased to litter pick for (example) dole+£50, just to be able to work, until the recession economy picks up. Ok, a lot of them wouldn't, but I'm talking about the ones that WANT to work, not the parasites.
stewgwyn
You're right, Keith, but what happens when a new one opens is that they employ an active pensioner with smart uniform and baseball cap for a while to impress the punters, then dump him once they have establihed themselves as the top fast food outlet in that area!
Davefly Theuniuonflagbrown
With te state of the education system in this country a job in Ma D's is about all the majority of school leavers could manag.
tagliatellius
I think you should go back to "skool" pal.
derekhuddy2
It's also a telling fact Mr Clegg that we are becoming a nation of lazy obese nearly yanks. He and Cambo(i want to be as famous as Thacther) will be moaning in a couple of months abotu how much nhs money is spent fatties!!!!
sociogirl
The majority of school leavers probably wouldn't stand a chance. Last I heard they wanted young people studying at least A level to be put on their waiting list for even an interview. My 17 year old son has been on the list for 13 months and is half way through A levels. With A levels they are more beneficial to the company as they are ( potential candidates to study the Mc Donald Degree) I kid not.
Eric Phoenix
'Sociogirl'... Wow, 'A' levels to work in McDonalds... I bought 2 egg & bacon McMuffins on Saturday for the family (take-away), arrived home to find all 3 were wrapped corrected by the contents were wrong. I ended up with 1 Egg&Bacon and 2 Sausage&Egg (yuck!).... hmmm, does not say alot for qualifications! Though this does highlight that the standards of our written 'A' level exams just to easy to pass.
Eric Phoenix
Sorry, lol, meant to write .. " I bought 3 egg..." (not 2). Does not say much about my qualifcations, lol.
sociogirl
Says it all doesn't it. I couldn't believe it at first, but did have it on good authority. My eldest son worked at Kentucky for a while before uni, their recruitment wasn't as severe but again he was studyiny A levels at the time and friends with GCSE's didn't get on.
Julie Crumpton
Why not just cook it yourself? It really would taste nicer! :-)
ABritMum
Oh Julie didn't you just hate it when your parents said that to you when you asked for burgers or icecream when you were a child?! "Come on I can make one just as good at home for alot less". I am a Mum and I hate the idea of my kids having junk food but there is no comparison; McDs burgers are more than rather tasty!
David Wragg
So that's what young people have to look forward to - serving in McDonalds!!!!! No jobs in aerospace, motor vehicle manufacture, shipbuilding, nuclear energy, merchant navy, armed services, electronics, etc, but you can work in a burger bar! Great!!!
Julie Crumpton
Agree!
gemmawh1
So everyone complains that people don't get off their a*se and work but when a big company like MD's offers 1500 new jobs everyone seems to snear at the opportunity to work? No wonder people don't bother to work when you lot attach the stigma. Like it or not a job is a job - the bin men get paid more than me!
stewgwyn
Gemmawh1, sounds like you're the one attaching the stigma - to the binmen! You don't say what you do for a living, but why shouldn't binmen get paid more than you? Are they an inferior species?
gemmawh1
I'm saying the bin men deserve a good wage! They seem more hardworking than others. My issue isn't bin men anyway. But there are people who attach stigma to what they deem a less worthy job. I work in retail, you don't don't paid in reflection to what you actually do, trust me!
stewgwyn
gemmawh1, Sorry, I see your point, it probably didn't come across as you intended. Yes, those of us who do work hard are undervalued. We need to ''talk a good job'' or manipulate statisics to get anywhere these days.
Russell Clarke
Totally agree with Gemmawh1 !
david norton
I agree with gemmawh1 too. A job is a job. And as it will go young people they can really develop some skills. Some people on here are even mentioning obesity level. When will people take responsibility for what they eat?
Julie Crumpton
This comment has been removed for violations of our Terms and Conditions.
stevie may
When you buy a Big Mac and open the box, why does it never look like the picture in the window ?
Grant Berry
Its a good job we have foriegn investment to help create Jobs
stevie may
Still, the fries are alrite
Lee Bennett
`Nick the drip, nearly shooting his bolt over the news of a few jobs in a burger chain.Big Wows !! How about the 118,000 this bunch of idiots have put on the dole in the last 3 months .Thats still a net figure of 115,500 they are down.And the drip is getting all wet about it .......come on,what a joke.Funny how he didn't mention that bit of info did he.
Russell Clarke
All the job loses are an on going thing since 2007 .
Ben Horsted
Im sorry but the fact that they are trying to employ more employees is good, does it matter if its a fast food place no, people who like me are trying to find jobs that would keep you longer then a week.... its a good fast food place who are doing good. Get over yourselves!!!
jeanne
clegg is thick
Steve Bratton
mcdonalds has to be the most disgusting thing ive tasted !
ABritMum
9:33am on 24/1/2012
When our Govt are telling us that jobs in McDonalds are something for our kids to aspire to it is past time for them to go. I wonder how Clegg would feel if this was all on offer for his kids?
Roger Rushkin
10:06am on 24/1/2012
Clegg and Cameron's children will go to the poshest schools money can buy, then Oxbridge, then The City, high paid executive jobs at BBC / Merryl Lynch / A.N.Other PR firm / Tory MP. That much is certain.
David Wragg
12:22pm on 24/1/2012
Cameron is set on sending his children to state schools, at least that's what he said. Fool! If one can afford private education, go for it and give you children the best start you can afford.
Roger Rushkin
2:43pm on 24/1/2012
' . . . . . . at least that's what he said' Right, OK. we'll see.
david norton
8:30pm on 24/1/2012
Perhaps its because of people like you that there are more foriegn workers in this type of job. Telling kids working somewhere like mcdonalds is beneath them. I say its a job. Its a job where they can learn key skills suchas timekeeping, customer interaction, cash handling etc etc. its a job for students to earn a bit of money. Maybe cleggs kids should go there and know what its like to be in the general public. Ok it may not be a job for long term but you get a better idea of how to manage people in the future if you have done a job like this