Restaurant chain McDonald’s plans to hire 20,000 new roles in the UK and Ireland as it opens 50 new outlets.
The company said the new roles were not to replace jobs that were lost during the pandemic lockdowns, but to prepare for the full re-opening of the economy, now scheduled for 19 July.
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However, UK chief executive Paul Pomroy told the Sunday Telegraph that recruitment difficulties in the hospitality sector would make filling these roles a challenge.
Many employers in the sector have resorted to offering bonuses to employees who recommend friends for jobs and even offering customers meal vouchers if they are able to suggest potential candidates.
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.”
McDonald’s said its expansion would mean opening more restaurants “in the regions” of the UK but has not confirmed where. It also plans to trial new restaurant layouts that “adapt to the different ways its customers use its restaurants at different times of the day”.
Once restrictions have been fully lifted this would mean increasing “crew capacity”, Pomroy added, alongside new restaurant openings.
Another fast-food service chain, Itsu, announced this weekend that it will open 100 new outlets over the next five years, creating 2,000 new jobs in the UK.
Private equity company Bridgepoint is said to be taking a major stake in the company that will fund the expansion, less than a year after the chain was threatened with closure due to the pandemic.
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