McDonald's to cut 63 workers in Oak Brook

Oak Brook-based McDonald's Corp. said Wednesday it plans to lay off 63 workers at its headquarters.

Company executives said last October during its third-quarter earnings report that the company was moving "with a sense of urgency to improve our financial performance by taking actions based on the long term," said spokeswoman Heidi Barker Sa Shekhem.

This came after a review of its corporate office, which houses about 1,700 workers, and other U.S. operations in order to save about $100 million that can be used for other priorities, such as digital and new restaurant platforms, she said.

"It is important to note that as resources are being redirected to business growth priorities, positions have also been created in this initiative," she said "We are providing affected individuals with severance packages and other assistance."

The layoffs are expected to start around Feb. 16.

Last October, McDonald's posted disappointing third-quarter earnings as sales fell 3.3 percent worldwide and profit sank about 30 percent. It was the fourth straight quarter of declines. The company has about 35,000 locations worldwide.

Besides slumping sales, McDonald's has been the target of minimum wage protests, a Chinese vendor using expired meat, and more recently, a human tooth, plastic pieces and other objects found in food in Japanese restaurants.