McDonald's to double China workforce

McDonald's Corp plans to almost double its workforce in China by hiring an additional 70,000 people this year as it accelerates new store openings, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.

The world's largest restaurant chain currently has about 80,000 employees in China, Lisa Howard, a company spokeswoman, told Bloomberg. It will open as many as 250 new locations this year, compared with 200 last year, she said.

The Big Mac seller has sought to compete with Yum! Brands Inc's KFC and Pizza Hut in China by opening more stores with drive-throughs and promoting value items during lunch.

McDonald's, which also offers a delivery service in China, generated about 22 percent of revenue from the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa region last year.

McDonald's has more than 33,500 restaurants worldwide, Bloomberg said.