McJob is slang

Slang

Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...

 for a low-paying, low-prestige dead end job

Dead end job

A dead-end job is a job in which there is little or no chance of progressing and succeeding into a higher paid position. Such work is usually unskilled and the phrase usually applies to those working as shelf stackers, cleaners, or other menial jobs where the pay is low, and the hours are long....

 that requires few skills

Skill (labor)

Skill is a measure of a worker's expertise, specialization, wages, and supervisory capacity. Skilled workers are generally more trained, higher paid, and have more responsibilities than unskilled workers....

 and offers very little chance of intracompany advancement. The term McJob comes from the name of the fast-food restaurant McDonald's

McDonald's

McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...

, but is used to describe any low-status job — regardless of the employer — where little training

Training

The term training refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It forms the core of apprenticeships and provides the backbone of content at institutes of...

 is required, staff turnover

Turnover (employment)

In a human resources context, turnover or staff turnover or labour turnover is the rate at which an employer gains and loses employees. Simple ways to describe it are "how long employees tend to stay" or "the rate of traffic through the revolving door." Turnover is measured for individual companies...

 is high, and workers' activities are tightly regulated by managers

Micromanagement

In business management, micromanagement is a management style where a manager closely observes or controls the work of her or his subordinates or employees...

. Working at a tedious, unappreciated, low paying job, especially one at a fast food restaurant, is also referred to as flipping burgers or slinging hash.
"McJob" was in use at least as early as 1986, according to the Oxford English Dictionary

Oxford English Dictionary

The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...

(OED), which defines it as "An unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects, esp.