McDonald's is raising hourly wages for 36,500 employees across the U.S.

Michael B. Kelley
·Head of Distribution
2 min read
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McDonald’s (MCD) will raise hourly wages "by an average of 10%" for more than 36,500 employees at more than 660 U.S. restaurants.

"These increases, which have already begun, will be rolled out over the next several months and include shifting the entry level range for crew to at least $11-$17 an hour," the fast food giant said in a statement, adding that shift managers would be paid at least $15 an hour.

The wage increases will not apply to employees at more 13,000 McDonald's restaurants owned and operated by franchisees. The move comes as McDonald's workers are planning to strike across 15 cities on May 19 to demand higher wages.

“Clearly, McDonald’s understands that in order to hire and retain talented workers, something needs to change," St. Louis-based McDonald’s worker and union leader Doneshia Babbitt said in a statement, which also asserted that the company announcement amounts to "raising pay for some of us and using fancy math tricks to gloss over the fact that they’re selling most of us short. ... That’s why we’re going on strike in 15 cities next Wednesday, May 19, the day before McDonald’s annual shareholders meeting, to demand $15/hr for every worker in every McDonald’s restaurant."

Companies are struggling to find workers as society reopens amid a vaccination rollout to end the coronavirus pandemic. Restaurants, specifically, shed millions of jobs in 2020. McDonald's aims a to hire roughly 10,000 more hourly employees over the next three months.

A hiring sign offers a $500 bonus outside a McDonald's restaurant, in Cranberry Township, Butler County, Pa., Wednesday, May 5, 2021. A bill by Pennsylvania's Republican-controlled Legislature to reinstate work-search requirements for people claiming unemployment benefits cleared the House Labor and Industry Committee on a party-line vote Tuesday. The sponsor, Rep. Jim Cox of Berks County, said many employers are having trouble finding workers. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
A hiring sign offers a $500 bonus outside a McDonald's restaurant, in Cranberry Township, Butler County, Pa., Wednesday, May 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

"Employers want help, but employees will only accept jobs under certain conditions," Yahoo Finance's Morning Brief noted recently. "Simply listing open jobs is not going to bridge this divide."

Earlier this week, Chipotle (CMG) announced a $15 minimum wage for restaurant workers as the burrito chain seeks to fill 20,000 positions.

Last month, a McDonald's franchise in Florida offered $50 to anyone who would interview at the location. Some states are ending a federal program to provide extra unemployment benefits in an attempt to encourage residents to find work.

McDonald’s also "expects the average hourly wage for its company-owned restaurants to increase to $15 an hour in a phased, market-by-market approach. Some restaurants have, or will, reach an average hourly wage of $15 an hour in 2021, and average hourly wages are expected to reach $15 an hour by 2024."

On April 30, McDonald's reported Q1 earnings that smashed expectations.

This post was updated with a statement from a McDonald's worker and union leader.

Michael is an editor at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelBKelley

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