McDonald's® Canada Aims to Create 1,700 New Jobs Across the West

Annual single-day, multi-province hiring blitz set for September 14 aims to bring 150 jobs to Winnipeg

WINNIPEG, Sept. 12, 2016 /CNW/ - This Wednesday, McDonald's Canada and its franchisees will be hosting their sixth West Hiring Day on September 14, 2016. As part of McDonald's commitment to provide meaningful employment opportunities to Canadians, the multi-province hiring blitz seeks to hire 1,700 new employees across Western Canada including 150 new positions in Winnipeg.

The recently released Labour Force Survey from Statistics Canada measured a nationwide unemployment rate of 7.0 per cent, following the previous four consecutive months of job loss.* Though Manitoba's provincial rate is more optimistic, at 5.9 per cent, for many residents, finding a job is still a struggle.

"We're dedicated to supporting the communities we serve, and are proud that our annual West Hiring Day has become a welcomed event for local restaurants and residents," says Shelly Hansen, Western Regional Vice President, McDonald's Canada. "With hands-on experience and award-winning training, McDonald's is a great place to begin a first job, to refine skillsets, or to build a career."

Participating restaurants will seek to fill crew, manager and new Guest Experience Leader positions at participating restaurants in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories. It also comes just a few months after National Hiring Day in April, which saw McDonald's hire more than 8,900 new employees across the country.

"From first job seekers to more seasoned workers, we've heard how difficult it is for Winnipeg residents to find employment", said McDonald's Winnipeg Franchisee Ryan McCullough. "Our crew and managers are ready and excited to invite all applicants through our restaurant doors to learn about these roles, including our newly created Guest Experience Leader positions. These roles provide our employees with relevant experience and skills that set the foundation for future success and careers. Some people call them 'soft skills'. We call them Skills For Life."

West Hiring Day invites job-seekers to apply in-restaurant and learn more about local restaurant opportunities. Applicants visiting the restaurant that day will have the benefit of a possible on-the-spot interview by a member of the restaurant management team.

Believing in today's youth
McDonald's hires employees of all ages, but of the nearly 90,000 Canadian employees, almost 65 per cent are young people between the ages of 15 and 24. McDonald's is committed to providing competitive wages, comprehensive benefits and flexible schedules that can help youth achieve a work-life balance while setting them up for success and skills for life in their future careers.

Candidates that are looking for local restaurant career opportunities, but unable to apply in-person can go to www.McDonalds.ca/Careers to apply online.

About McDonald's Canada
In 1967, Canadians welcomed the first McDonald's restaurant to Richmond, British Columbia. Today, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited has become part of the Canadian fabric, serving close to three million guests every day.  Together with our franchisees, we proudly employ nearly 90,000 people from coast-to-coast and approximately 85 per cent of McDonald's 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs. Of the almost $1 billion we spend on food, more than 85 per cent is purchased from suppliers in Canada. For more information on McDonald's Canada visit McDonalds.ca.

* Source: Labour Force Survey, Statistics Canada as of August 2016: The full report is available here.

SOURCE McDonald's Canada

Danielle Jang, McDonald's Canada, [email protected], 604-293-4849; Colleen Dunbar, Weber Shandwick, [email protected], 604-283-1361