McDonald's Corp. said it is beginning a push Tuesday, April...

McDonald's Corp. said it is beginning a push Tuesday, April 19, 2011, to hire 50,000 workers. This restaurant with the familiar red sign is in Doral, Fla. Credit: AP, 2010

OAK BROOK, Ill. -- McDonald's Corp., seeking to change the stereotype that working in fast food is a dead end job, is holding a hiring blitz.

The company is making its well-publicized push Tuesday to hire 50,000 workers.

The significance of 50,000 hires is unclear. McDonald's usually staffs up for summer anyway. A spokeswoman says that  last year  McDonald's hired 50,000 employees throughout April.

The burger chain is also eager to change the perception of the term "McJobs." It might be a tall order for a word that even the Oxford English Dictionary defines as "an unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects."

The company says its jobs teach important skills and that many of its executives started as crew members.

McDonald's, based in Oak Brook, Ill., says franchisees will set wages but most pay more than the $7.25-an-hour federal minimum.

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