McDonald's Needs 580 New Iowa Workers (KCCI 8 Des Moines)

McDonald's said it wants to hire 580 workers in Iowa due to its optimistic economic forecast. Heather Parrish filled out an application Monday afternoon at the McDonald's near Drake University in Des Moines. “Oh it's been a struggle. I am unemployed right now,” she said. New Jobs are critical for Iowa's economic recovery. That’s why Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds stopped by to thank McDonald's for plans to hire 580 new Iowa crew and managers. Her boss, Gov. Terry Branstad, is promising 200,000 new jobs. “We believe we will create an environment where we'll see job growth across the state of Iowa,” said Reynolds. Some Democrats wonder why Republicans are taking credit for jobs at McDonald's, and said the state needs better jobs than that. But Republicans said any job is a good job. “We see a need for more employees and so we want to get them on board before summer. We're very optimistic,” said McDonald's franchise owner Jim Baker. Baker said the McDonald's value menu kept the restaurant chain on top during the economic downturn. And he said that’s good news for potential future employees such as Parrish. “I think it's starting to come together. Jobs are more available now. I've been to several different places, and there are a lot more people hiring now,” she said.