Index of Largest Employers by Regions

In the capital, the largest employer became Ukrzaliznytsia, which had over 187,000 employees in 2023. Despite reducing its workforce by almost 11% since the beginning of the full-scale war, Ukrzaliznytsia still employs the largest number of Ukrainians.

«The reduction in the number of employees is due to several factors. Among them are the temporary occupation of territories where the company’s operations are currently suspended, forced migration, and mobilization of employees. Approximately 10,200 railway workers are currently serving in the Armed Forces.

In 2024, Ukrzaliznytsia is focused on creating conditions to retain employees in the company. Specifically, a separate policy has already been implemented to reintegrate veterans into the workforce, and plans are underway to expand support programs for employees and their families affected by the war. An important task is to create a motivation system to attract youth, which will include assistance to vocational training institutions in restoring their operations», 

— commented Olena Havura, HR Director of Ukrzaliznytsia.

Let’s remind that in the Opendatabot Index 2024, the Ukrainian Railways also leads in the "Transport and Postal Services" sector.

In Dnipropetrovsk region, the largest employer became ATB-MARKET with 44,094 employees. The company also ranked first in the "Retail Trade" sector of the Opendatabot Index 2024.

Due to the occupation of territories where stores operated, population migration, process optimization within the company, and other factors, ATB reduced its workforce by 4,700 or 10% since the beginning of 2022. Nevertheless, ATB remains one of the largest employers not only in Dnipropetrovsk but also in Ukraine as a whole.

«The company has learned to be flexible, promptly adapt, and respond to changing conditions. After the start of full-scale war, ATB expanded its cooperation with local manufacturers, signing over 100 contracts with new suppliers and establishing direct supplies from Poland, the Baltic countries, and Turkey. When land borders almost came to a halt due to mass migration of Ukrainians and the sudden launch of humanitarian cargo, the retailer, in cooperation with government and law enforcement agencies, almost manually formed green corridors for delivering products to Ukraine», 

— say representatives of ATB.

The "Fora" supermarket chain has become a leader in the Kyiv region: currently, the company employs 8,800 employees. It is worth noting that the company ranked third in the "Retail Trade" sector of the 2024 Index.

Since the start of the full-scale war, the company has undergone minor workforce optimization, comments Antonina Zhebrovska, Director of Human Resources Management at the "Fora" store network:

«The reduction in the number of employees in 2023 is a general trend in Ukrainian business, of course, it is associated with changes in the country. Business always reflects society, and ’Fora’ is no exception. We have streamlined processes and digitized the guest experience. ’Fora’ continues to create new jobs for Ukrainians, open new stores, and expand its geographical presence. The network offers positions for people with disabilities, youth have career growth opportunities, and part-time work provides a convenient schedule for students, mothers, and older people».

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In Vinnytsia region, the leading company in terms of the number of employees is "Vinnytska Ptakhofabryka" with 6,300 workers. In this year’s Opendatabot Index, the company ranked 4th in the processing industry.

On the other hand, the company "SHU Pokrovske" became the leader in Donetsk region and secured the 3rd position in the mining sector of the Opendatabot Index. It’s one of the few enterprises that managed to maintain its workforce after the full-scale war began. In 2023, the company employed over 5,800 workers. Metinvest, the group of enterprises to which Pokrovske belongs, emphasizes that they make significant efforts to motivate their team, as their employees work in an area close to the conflict zone.

«Since the start of the full-scale war, the first challenge we encountered was the loss of personnel. Many people are still leaving due to almost daily shelling. Over a thousand of our employees are currently defending the country. However, we managed to preserve a team that ensures the stable operation of the enterprise today. Additionally, after demobilization, our veterans are returning to their jobs, facilitated by our special program called "Heroes Among Us".

But we consider heroes not only those who return from the front lines but also our colleagues who go to work every day despite shelling and constant threat. Currently, our employees receive extra pay for working in areas close to combat zones. For colleagues whose housing has been affected by shelling, we provide financial compensation», 

— commented the press service of the Metinvest group.

In Volyn region, the leader became LLC "VEST PETROL MARKET" with 5.6 thousand employees. The company holds the 4th place in the "Retail Trade" sector of the Opendatabot Index 2024.

In Zaporizhzhia region, the largest employer is the CJSC "MOTOR SICH" with 14.5 thousand workers.

In Poltava region, the leader is LLC "VYHIDNA POKUPKA" (Aurora store network). The company has nearly 12 thousand employees. It is worth noting that this company has managed to almost double its staff since the start of the full-scale war.

«At Aurora, we understand the importance of not only preserving jobs but also creating new ones. Because that’s what socially responsible business should be, especially in challenging times. We support everyone by providing employment opportunities, paying taxes to local and national budgets, and as a team, we donate, initiate, and participate in important fundraisers and social projects», 

— said Olga Pravda, Director of Human Capital at the Aurora multi-market network.

LLC "OKKO-DRIVE" is the largest employer in Lviv region, with 6.4 thousand employees.

The cable network factory LLC "SE BORDNETZE — UKRAINE" became the largest employer in Ternopil region, employing 4 thousand workers.

The agricultural company "NIBULON" emerged as the leader in Mykolaiv region with 3.7 thousand employees last year.

Yana Romanenko, the HR director at "NIBULON", noted that at the onset of the full-scale war, the company lost almost 40% of its personnel due to occupation, relocation, inability to perform duties for various reasons, and so on. However, since then, the company has managed to stabilize its operations, establish export channels, and launch a large-scale transformation project.

«The company’s new work model involves the presence of new knowledge and skills, so in 2024, we plan to invest over 6 million UAH in training programs and staff development. The shortage of personnel is becoming increasingly noticeable, with a significant portion attributed to mobilization issues. In the case of "NIBULON", now that 4 stages of conscription have already been completed, the enterprise loses its production cycle as more than 75% of military reservists are critical to "NIBULON" at present. We are seeking ways to address this issue and are compelled to invest in automation despite limited financial resources in the market. At the same time, we understand that the government needs to communicate with businesses on this issue to ensure the economic security of the country», 

— commented Yana Romanenko.

On the Zhytomyr region, PP "UKRPALETSYSTEM" (UPG gas station network) leads with 3.3 thousand employees.

The factory "FLEXTRONICS TOV" became the largest by the number of workers in Transcarpathia. There are a little over 3 thousand employees.

Companies that provide electricity to the population and industry have also become the largest employers in a number of regions of Ukraine: in Cherkasy (PJSC "Cherkasyoblenergo"), Sumy (PJSC "Sumyoblenergo"), Ivano-Frankivsk (PJSC "Prykarpattyaoblenergo"), Khmelnytskyi (PJSC "Khmelnytskyoblenergo"), Chernihiv (PJSC "Chernihivoblenergo"), Kirovohrad (PJSC "Kirovohradoblenergo"), Kharkiv (PJSC "Kharkivoblenergo"), Kherson (PJSC "Khersonoblenergo"), and Odessa (PJSC "DTEK Odessa Electric Networks") regions.

Overall, the size of the staff in the energy sector across Ukraine has been influenced by the same factors. For instance, Deputy Director for Public Relations of PJSC "Khmelnytskyoblenergo", Olena Hrynevych, points out:

«The change in the staff size of PJSC "Khmelnytskyoblenergo" is partly due to the state of war — more than a hundred of our employees are defending the Motherland in the ranks of the Armed Forces. There has also been an important process of merging districts of electrical networks, as a result of which some of the employees of retirement age retired».

Meanwhile, the press secretary of PJSC "Chernihivoblenergo", Katerina Drozdova, says:

«As it is a critical infrastructure enterprise with a range of tasks and obligations to consumers, no one plans to reduce its workforce. The power grids of Chernihiv suffered greatly in the first months of the full-scale war, and the border areas, where four divisions of the enterprise are located, still endure daily shelling. Therefore, only swift and high-quality work can ensure somewhat reliable power supply in these regions. That’s why the enterprise is very interested in improving the quality of its personnel».

Among other regions, the lowest number of employees, but the highest in their respective areas, are held by: PJSC "RIVNEAZOT" in Rivne region with 1,800 workers and LLC "ROMA" in Chernivtsi with 959 employees.