McDonald’s contributes £3031.m to Yorkshire and the Humber employing more than 11,915 people

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To celebrate its 50th birthday in the UK, McDonald’s has commissioned an independent economic report, which reveals the incredible £974.2 million* contribution the business and its suppliers have made to the Yorkshire and Humber area annually.

Without including its supply chain, in 2023 alone, McDonald’s direct economic contribution across the Yorkshire and Humber area totalled approximately £303.1m**, with the 107 Yorkshire and Humber restaurants directly employing 11,915 people***.

Despite the turbulence of the last five years, with many businesses facing challenging times, McDonald’s 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.

McDonald's Litter Pick at Yorks Jorvik Viking FestivalMcDonald's Litter Pick at Yorks Jorvik Viking Festival
McDonald's Litter Pick at Yorks Jorvik Viking Festival

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. Full breakdown of the major cities across Yorkshire and the Humber:

City

Total jobs created

Total GVA created

Leeds

2,560

£106.8m

Sheffield

1,275

£40.5m

Doncaster

1,150

N/A

Bradford

1,145

N/A

Hull

1,100

N/A

York

640

N/A

Barnsley

510

N/A

In addition to restaurant jobs, Yorkshire and the Humber is home to one of McDonald’s biggest suppliers; McCain Foods in Scarborough, which supplies French Fries to all UK restaurants. Through partners, such as McCain Foods, - and the wider induced effects of its operations and supply chain – McDonald’s contributes a further £671.0 million per annum to the Yorkshire and Humber economy and 5,775 extra jobs.

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McDonald’s 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. Successful local McDonald’s partnerships include LS-10 (Leeds) and Active Lives & Communities (Doncaster).

Franchisees and their teams go above and beyond to give back to and champion their local communities. This includes one Franchisee with restaurants in Huddersfield and Leeds taking part in the biggest fundraising event in UK Franchisee history for Ronald McDonald House Charities. Taking on The World’s Toughest Row in December, Matthew Pitchforth is aiming to raise awareness and hopefully £1 million for the children’s charity. Other recent events include the York team taking part in the Jorvik Viking Festival cleaning up litter around the city during the event.

McDonald’s Franchisee Richard Marcroft, who owns and operates four restaurants across the North East and Yorkshire, said:“Creating and sustaining jobs across Yorkshire & Humber 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. We have so many opportunities available to young people and it’s great to see so many of them taking advantage and gaining qualifications while they work – there is no longer a need to decide between learning and earning. 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.

Working previously for McCain Foods in Scarborough, I extend my thanks for their unwavering support and exceptional quality across the UK and region. Through partnerships with esteemed suppliers like McCain Foods, the broader economic impact of our operations and supply chain, McDonald’s proudly contributes so much more locally”.

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The report finds that overall, the business and its supply chain is estimated to be worth more than £7.25 billion annually to the UK economy (including wider, induced effects) – and that over the past 50 years, the total economic contribution is £94.45 billion, with £51.56 billion spent with UK supply chain businesses ****. McDonald’s growth over the last 50 years has seen the level of employment supported by McDonald’s and Franchisees increase from one restaurant in 1974 to 94,600 direct employees in 2013 to 171,415 in 2023.

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