McDonald's To Create 5,000 New Jobs In UK

McDonald's has announced it will be creating 5,000 new jobs in the UK by the end of 2017.

The fast food chain said the roles were in addition to 8,000 new positions that were announced in 2014 - bringing the workforce to more than 110,000.

All of the posts will offer flexible hours, but it is estimated that only about 20% of the roles will be for more than 30 hours a week.

New (KOSDAQ: 160550.KQ - news) restaurants and extended opening hours have driven the company's demand for new staff, as more than half of its stores are open 24 hours a day.

Business Secretary Greg Clark said the recruitment spree was "great news for the UK economy" and underlined that large companies have confidence "that the UK is open for business".

McDonald's said it remains committed to the UK despite "challenging economic conditions".

In recent years, the long-standing company has been trying to stem falling sales by introducing digital kiosks and customisable menus - as newer, more modern chains eat into its market share.

On Tuesday, McDonald's announced it was experiencing "softening industry growth" in the US, with quarterly sales falling short of analysts' expectations.

Higher worker wages and cheaper prices in supermarkets were partially to blame for the slowdown in America, where McDonald's makes 40% of its worldwide profits.

The chief executive of the McDonald's Corporation, Steve Easterbrook, stressed in May that higher minimum wages were unlikely to affect staff numbers - amid concerns that a $15 hourly rate in the US could prompt the chain to replace workers with robots.

"Ultimately we're in the service business. We will always have an important human element," he had told shareholders at the McDonald's annual meeting in Illinois.