McDonald’s Corp reported a 10% increase in average hourly pay in its nearly 660 restaurants in the United States on Thursday, joining the industry in the battle for pandemic controls that will entice employees back into their kitchens and dining areas.
The wage increases do not extend to the roughly 13,025 McDonald’s restaurants owned and run in the United States.
McDonald’s announced that pay increases for over 36,500 hourly restaurant employees have started and will continue for several weeks. The entry crew will earn at least $11 to $17 per hour under the new pay scale, while shift managers will earn at least $15 to $20 per hour.
The company, which plans to recruit 10,000 more hourly workers in the next three months, expects an average wage of around $15 per hour at all company-owned restaurants by 2024, up from around $13.
“We thank our employees in McDonald’s restaurants for supporting our communities,” said Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald’s USA.
Millions of restaurant workers were laid off after the pandemic forced many to close or drastically reduce their operations.
Some of them were reassigned to jobs in warehousing or retail. Others rely on government grants, ranging from stimulus checks to extended unemployment insurance, and in some cases receive more than they would earn working full-time in a restaurant.
McDonald’s has joined Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc, Taco Bell, and other fast-food restaurants in sweetening pay packages for new employees.
Chipotle announced on Monday that it would add 20,000 more employees and lift the average hourly wage to $15 by June, a $2 rise.
McDonald’s | Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @njtimesofficial. To get latest updates
