Together with Trump's labor secretary, McDonald's announced its largest search for workers in years

McDonald's will launch its biggest job search in years. The fast-food company announced it will hire some 375,000 employees across the country. The formal announcement was made in Ohio and was attended by the company's president, Joe Erlinger, as well as Lori Chavez-DeRemer, secretary of labor for the Trump Administration.

Erlinger and Chavez-DeRemer met at a restaurant near the city of Columbus, in Franklin County, where the company remarked that the new jobs will be permanent.

The Labor Secretary assured that McDonald's hires will drive investment and growth in the sector: "McDonald’s is sparking a ripple effect of prosperity for our workers, communities, and the economy".

"By expanding their workforce, the corporation will be driving investment and setting the standard for industry growth, whether as a launchpad for a different career or as a ladder for internal achievements," added DeRemer, who served in the House of Representatives between Jan. 2023 and 2025.

McDonald's last major hiring spree took place in the summer of 2020, when it announced its intention to add 260,000 employees. In that context, the company was reopening restaurants that had closed during the early months of the Coronavirus pandemic.

"Its decision to staff up for this summer signals optimism that U.S. restaurant traffic will improve as the year unfolds," noted the Washington Post.

Prior to assuming his role in the Trump Administration, Chavez-DeRemer met with representatives from McDonald's, Wendy's, Yum Brands, and other fast food companies, specifically to discuss their labor agenda and industry issues.

During her time as a congresswoman, the Republican built a good relationship with unions and even co-sponsored the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which was intended to make it easier for workers to unionize.

For example, McDonald's donated $1 million to Trump's second presidential inauguration, marking its first contribution to an inaugural fund in more than a decade.