McDonald's Planned to Hire 375,000 Workers for Summer 2025

McDonald's Big Seasonal Play

Fasten your aprons and sunscreen, because McDonald's fired up the grills for summer 2025. On May 12, 2025, the fast-food giant announced plans to hire up to 375,000 US restaurant workers at company-owned and franchised stores. It was McDonald's biggest summer hiring push since 2020, when it planned to add 260,000 workers.

Hold on, though. Before you picture an army of new golden archers, keep in mind that fast food has high turnover. The 375,000 figure took into account the many workers always coming and going at McDonald's, so its total workforce would not grow by that much. Still, McDonald's said the new hires would be for permanent positions.

Flipping Burgers and Upping Foot Traffic

Here's a crispy nugget of insight: the hiring push was not only about churn. It signaled optimism that US restaurant traffic would improve as the year went on, after US same-store sales slumped 3.6% in January to March, the biggest US decline since the pandemic.

Expansion was part of the story too. McDonald's, which had more than 13,500 US restaurants, planned to open 900 more by 2027, and each new location needs a full crew.

What Did It Mean for Job Seekers?

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer joined McDonald's US President Joe Erlinger for the announcement at a restaurant near Columbus, Ohio. For job seekers, the takeaway was simple: entry-level restaurant roles were plentiful in summer 2025, and many of them were permanent jobs, not just seasonal gigs.

Summer 2025 is over, but fast-food chains hire all year because of turnover. If a first job or a flexible role is what you need, check local restaurant openings directly, and ask about training, scheduling and growth into shift lead or manager roles.

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