Top 10 Largest Employers in Ukraine

Ukrzaliznytsia has been Ukraine’s biggest employer for 4 years in a row, with 178,616 employees. However, in the past year, it lost more than 9,000 workers — that’s almost a 5% staff cut. Since the full-scale war began, the company has reduced its workforce by 54,000 people.

In second place is ATB-Market, with 46,084 employees. Over the past year, it added nearly 2,000 new workers. Third place goes to Gas Distribution Networks of Ukraine, employing 37,714 people. The company grew its staff by 4,200 in the last year.

ATB says that despite all the challenges, it created about 2,000 new jobs last year. This was possible thanks to its dynamic growth strategy — opening new stores, expanding distribution centers, and modernizing company facilities. These actions not only boosted local economies but also provided thousands of Ukrainian families with stable income. ATB also focuses on developing its employees, calling them its most valuable resource and key to success.

The Top 10 largest employers also includes retail chains, logistics companies, energy giants, and state institutions. Among them are: Ukrposhta — 31,739 employees, Silpo — 31,366, Nova Poshta — 27,509, Energoatom — 27,352, Forests of Ukraine — 23,717, Ukrnafta — 18,926, Ukrgazvydobuvannya — 17,317.

Notably, Gas Distribution Networks of Ukraine and Forests of Ukraine made it into the top 10 for the first time.

Only four companies reduced their staff last year. The biggest cuts were made by the leader — Ukrzaliznytsia, which lost the most workers. Ukrposhta also reduced its team by over 3,000 people, Energoatom by 1,800, and Forests of Ukraine by 20% — more than 6,000 jobs.

At the same time, other companies continued to grow. The biggest increase was seen at Gas Distribution Networks of Ukraine (+12.5%). Other companies that actively expanded their teams include Silpo (+4.9%), ATB (+4.5%), Nova Poshta (+4.5%), Ukrnafta (+3.2%), and Ukrgazvydobuvannya (+2.9%).

There are also fast-growing companies that are not yet in the top 10. For example, the Avrora store chain has grown its staff four times since the full-scale war began — from 3,000 to over 12,000 employees, and the number keeps growing each year.

Avrora says their team is their main asset. They don’t have an HR department — instead, they have a Human Capital Department. The company believes it’s important to treat employees as capital, not just as a resource. Their approach is based on making people feel needed, heard, and valued — so they can make decisions and influence the company. This, they say, is the key to motivation and engagement.

NovaPay, part of the Nova Poshta group, is also growing quickly — in 2024, its staff increased by 7.5%. The same goes for the EVA store chain, which grew its team by 2% over the year.

McDonald’s showed only a 0.2% increase and still hasn’t returned to its pre-war number of employees — just like most companies.

According to the company, people come first at McDonald’s. This approach helps them continue growing in Ukraine, despite all the challenges. They currently support a team of 10,000 employees. McDonald’s takes care of their well-being by indexing salaries annually, offering health insurance, and providing financial support to workers affected by the war. They also continue to pay salaries to mobilized employees.