McDonald’s has shut down its U.S. offices until Wednesday and instructed its corporate staff to work remotely in preparation for an upcoming layoff announcement. The company memo posted on TheLayoff.com website mentioned that McDonald’s wants to guarantee the comfort and confidentiality of its employees throughout the notification period and will hold all meetings virtually. The memo also stated that international corporate staff should follow guidelines in their respective regions. The layoffs aim to increase McDonald’s efficiency, according to the memo. The company did not comment on the memo or layoffs. The announcement follows recent layoffs in the technology industry by major corporations such as IBM, Microsoft, Amazon, Salesforce, Facebook parent Meta, Twitter, and DoorDash. Policymakers at the Federal Reserve have predicted a possible rise in the unemployment rate to 4.6% by the end of 2022. McDonald’s has over 150,000 employees in corporate roles and company-owned restaurants, with about 70% working internationally.