McDonald’s has announced a $55 million investment in Queensland, which will result in approximately 3,000 new jobs across the state.
Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt said the move showed companies remain confident in local business conditions and the state government’s economic agenda.
According to Mr Pitt, the investment is not only good news for retail jobs, but will also support the construction industry as McDonald’s looks to expand store infrastructure in Queensland.
The fast-food retailer has a history of providing school-based traineeships in the state, and it’s hoped the new investment will offer similar opportunities to Queensland’s young people.
“It’s great to see major businesses like McDonald’s investing in Queensland,” Mr Pitt stated. “The Palaszczuk government will continue to work with business and industry to generate more jobs and more growth to get our economy back where it belongs.”
McDonald’s is creating 15,000 jobs in Australia as part of its Create Your Taste service, the Courier-Mail reports. The initiative allows consumers to design their own gourmet burger from a range of 30 ingredients using in-store touchscreen technology.
Retail jobs in Queensland
Recent figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show food services are a primary driver behind Queensland’s recent nation-leading retail performance.
ABS data revealed a 0.7 per cent jump in retail trade figures in March when compared with the preceding month. This helped the state achieve 1.7 per cent growth in the sector over the March quarter, which was higher than any other mainland state. Spending in cafes, restaurants and takeaways climbed 3.1 per cent.
Peter Burchard, Queensland market manager at McDonald’s, told the Courier-Mail that the organisation has a “steady pipeline of growth” planned across Queensland.
“We’ve forecast our business to continue to be strong in this state. These jobs will create $55 million for the Queensland economy alone based around construction of new stores and infrastructure,” he explained. “It will also include five new stores opening, staggered across the next 12 months.”
Mr Pitt said the McDonald’s investment adds to the impressive growth seen in the Queensland labour market over the last few months. He said 5,300 full-time jobs had been added in the state in April, while an extra 18,700 people are now in employment since the beginning of the year.
The Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative will support a further 32,000 positions within the next four years, he stated.
