McDonalds has created jobs for nearly 300 people in Oxford

To celebrate its 50th birthday in the UK, McDonald’s has commissioned an independent economic report, which reveals the £801.4 million contribution the business and its suppliers have made to the south east annually.

Without including its supply chain, in 2023 alone, McDonald’s direct economic contribution across the South East totalled approximately £401.2m, with the 175 restaurants directly employing 22,240 people.

The report shows that Mcdonald's has created 290 jobs in Oxford.

Despite the turbulence of the last five years, with many businesses facing challenging times, McDonald’s says it has continued to invest in local towns and cities across the UK, where restaurants are often at the "heart of the community".

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The ‘McDonald’s at 50’ report, was produced to understand the value McDonald’s has added to the UK economy, local communities, its employees, customers and suppliers since it first started operating in the UK.

The new report was commissioned to mark McDonald’s 50th anniversary in the UK and builds on economic data published five years ago.

It looks at Mcdonald’s significant contribution to the UK’s cities, through jobs created in restaurants and the wider economic impact through its supply chain.

McDonald’s says it believes in playing an active role in the local communities in which it operates and through its programme, Makin’ It, in partnership with BBC Children in Need, is committed to partnering every restaurant across the UK with youth services. 

The initiative harnesses the power of youth work to provide safe, welcoming spaces in restaurants and funds programmes to provide training, real-world experience and opportunities for young people. 

(Image: Google)

Successful local McDonald’s partnerships include Motiv8 (Fareham), Medway Youth Servies (Medway) and Saints Foundation (Southampton).

Most recently McDonald’s restaurants across Brighton took part in a mass litter pick following the Brighton Pride celebrations to clean up the local landmarks and streets ensuring a welcoming city to all visitors.

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McDonald’s Franchisee Dave Padmore, who owns and operates eight restaurants across the South East, said: “Creating and sustaining jobs across the south east is of huge importance to me, and the fact that we have been able to make a significant financial contribution to the area is something my fellow franchisees and I are very proud of.

"I believe in investing in my staff and helping to provide them not only with an interesting and enjoyable place to work, but also to give them qualifications that they can draw upon throughout their life.

"It’s also been amazing to see the impact McDonald’s restaurants are having across local communities.

"From community initiatives to litter picks and outreach programmes, our restaurants and crew are constantly thinking of ways to support their local communities."