McDonald's Corporation isn't caught in the general downward trend of the U.S. economy: the company has announced that global comparable sales rose almost six percent in January. Also, systemwide sales for worldwide restaurants increased more than 13 percent over the same month, or 7 percent in constant currencies.

"We continue to drive our business with an unwavering commitment to our customers," said McDonald's Chief Executive Officer Jim Skinner in an official company statement. "Consumers are busier than ever, and McDonald's is their ideal choice for quick, convenient and affordable meals."

The figures for the U.S. are also looking good: McDonalds said that comparable sales rose about 2 percent in January. The company alleges the rise is due to the ongoing strength of the Company's breakfast business combined with the success of McDonald's Dollar Menu.

McDonald's Corporation can be traced back to a restaurant opened by siblings Dick and Mac McDonald in San Bernardino, California, in 1940. Now the company has more than 30,000 locations worldwide and employs half a million people. Nearly one in eight workers in the U.S. has at some time been employed by McDonald's, or at least one in ten by other sources.