Dunkin’ to hire 25,000 employees

With millions of Americans unemployed, Dunkin is aiming to hire thousands of workers as restaurants across the country reopen after coronavirus-related closures.

Dunkin’ franchisees plan to hire 25,000 new restaurant employees and are partnering with Southern New Hampshire University to provide store employees with online educations, the company announced Monday.

The news comes as more fast-food chains ramp up hiring efforts. Taco Bell announced last month it planned to hire at least 30,000 workers, implementing new jobs specifically tailored to COVID-19-related health and safety. The Yum Brands-owned chain created new positions like delivery managers, curbside pickup personnel and workers to help streamline mobile app orders and its drive-thru.

Pizza chain giant Dominos said in March it had more than 10,000 openings for delivery drivers, pizza makers and customer service representatives to accommodate more takeout orders.

Dunkin closed its dining rooms in mid-March to safeguard against the spread of the novel coronavirus. Now, as more of the chain’s locations reopen, it will provide employees with personal protective equipment like single-use gloves, face masks and plexiglass shields for the restaurant’s front counter and is recommending health screenings for employees, including temperature checks.

The U.S. unemployment rate dropped, unexpectedly, to 13.3 percent in May, down from a record in April, according to data from the Labor Department released last week.

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