McDonald’s unable to confirm whether job boost will benefit Halton

Feb 9 2012 by Daniel Mckenzie, Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News

MCDONALD’S has announced plans to create 2,500 new jobs – but the company cannot confirm whether any of the new positions will be in Halton.

A spokesman for the fast food giant said the chain would hire 310 new employees in the North West, in a move that will see its UK workforce swell to around 90,000.

But it is not yet known whether the boost will benefit the chain’s three Halton branches – at Asda on Widnes Road, on Moor Lane, Widnes, and West Lane, Runcorn.

About 30% of the jobs will go to first-time workers, with more than half of new employees expected to be under 25.

McDonald’s, which serves an estimated 2.5 million people in its 1,200 UK branches every day, has bucked the national trend by creating 13,500 jobs over the last three years.

Jill McDonald, chief executive of McDonald’s UK, said: “Today’s job market is particularly tough for young people so it remains vital that these jobs continue to offer great training programmes that teach the valued, transferable skills that will give them a solid footing on the career ladder and help them to progress their careers with us or other employers.”