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SALT LAKE CITY -- Tuesday is Hiring Day at McDonald's in several Western states, and the fast food chain is hoping to hire 700 Utahns.
There are 22,500 fewer jobs in Utah than in March 2009. -Dept. of Workforce Services
Hundreds of McDonald's across Utah are taking orders for more than just fries and burgers -- they're taking resumes, too.
Aaron Renshaw is getting a degree in Political Science, but needs a job now.
"Several years ago when you went through the want ads, you would have page after page after page," Renshaw said. "When you go through them now, there's two."
Doug Johnson owns 14 McDonald's along the Wasatch Front and knows many folks are out of work. That's one of the reasons why he, along with other owners, have pledged to hire 700 people Tuesday -- helping boost what economic forecasters call Utah's "lukewarm employment rate.
Jobs along the Wasatch Front
| March 2010 | March 2009 | % Change | Feb. 2010 | Jan. 2010 |
| 767,509 | 782,918 | -2.0 | 765,116 | 764,387 |
"We are really focusing on establishing a part-time base to give more people an opportunity to work," Johnson said. "Our goal is five to seven per location."
According to McDonald's, stores in Utah employ over 5,700 people and feed more than $83.6 million into the Utah economy. Johnson says he hopes the people he hires are enough to help even more.
"I'm assuming if we can get these folks to work, it will have an impact," he said.
Owner/operator Mark Young says those who are hired will work 20 hours or more per week and will be eligible for health and medical insurance, free meals and employee-support services.
Unemployment rates
| Utah | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|
| March 2010 | 7.2% | 9.7% |
| March 2009 | 5.3% | 8.0% |
| % change | -1.9% | -1.7% |
And it's not the kind of people he usually sees applying.
"That was traditionally more of our working crew, the teenagers and younger crowd. But we do see a whole gamut of people now that are interested in applying and working here," Johnson said.
Even if you missed Hiring Day, many McDonald's -- like the ones Johnson owns -- will be taking applications even after Tuesday.
You can also apply on their website, too. CLICK HERE for more information.
E-mail: abutterfield@ksl.com
