Companies cannot grow and develop without a solid labor force keeping their operations up and running. Many companies determine their position and standing compared to the competition based on their profits, cash flows, assets, and other points of reference. But what most businesses fail to place a higher priority on is the state of their employee base.
Without a clearly guided and motivated workforce, a company would be unable to expand and increase its efficiency and effectiveness in the market. It all relies on how tasks are delegated and how benefits are fairly distributed to the labor force while maintaining smooth operations throughout.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic further stretching the capabilities of employment due to remote work and other available opportunities, big businesses are encouraged to make their labor policies and other related guidelines more flexible.
While the business world continues to navigate the current trends in employment, there are some companies that stand out among the rest when it comes to maintaining their huge employee base. Here are the companies with the largest number of employees in the world.
20. Sinopec Group
Regarded as one of the world’s largest oil refining, petrochemical, and gas companies, the Sinopec Group is a company that has around 385,691 people in its employment. Headquartered in China, the Sinopec Group is among the ranks of the largest companies in the world when considering revenue. The company is listed in Hong Kong and also conducts trade transactions in Shanghai as well.
19. Kroger Co.
As of 2021, Kroger Co. has employed around 420,000 employees. Being one of the top grocery retailers in America, the company has several chains spread across the country, which, in turn, would need a lot of manpower to operate with a consistent quality of service continuously.
Two-thirds of the company’s employee base is covered by collective bargaining agreements or a written agreement between an employer and the union representing the employees. Most of Kroger Co.’s employees are represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers.
18. Industrial & Commercial Bank of China
The Industrial & Commercial Bank of China is another company that has a lot of employees on its payroll. With around 434,089 employees as of 2021, the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China is considered to be one of the largest companies in the world, not only in terms of its employee number but also in terms of the assets that it owns.
On top of all of that, the company’s already huge numbers are further backed up by the profitability it can sustain. In terms of overall success, this company ranks among the best when it comes to performance in the general picture of things.
17. Target Corporation
Target Corporation is a name known all over for its offerings that provide not only the best quality possible but also the best prices. Hiring around 409,000 employees, Target is a powerful presence in the retail industry.
Having several department store chains under its control, Target also has a massive labor force to maintain the smoothness of its operations as it continues to expand and develop into several other regions.
16. China Mobile
With around 446,068 employees being hired throughout its company history, the telecommunications giant China Mobile is a company that was able to acquire such a huge employee base primarily because its resources and overall operations are being supervised by the Chinese state.
The huge number of employees that the company currently has on its payroll is primarily due to the huge coverage and extent of services offered by the organization to its customers.
Besides its headquarters in China, some of the other areas covered by the company include Hong Kong, Pakistan, and Japan, among many other regions all over the world that have benefited from the offerings of China Mobile Communications.
15. Agricultural Bank of China
Yet another huge presence in the nation of China is none other than the Agricultural Bank of China — a company that also belongs to the top four banks in the state. As of 2021, the company has hired around 455,000 employees to maintain its operations consistently.
As one of the biggest banks located in one of the economic hotspots of the world, business for the Agricultural Bank of China has been booming. Offering services such as consumer banking and insurance, the company is still going strong and is predicted to maintain its hot streak for the years to come.
14. Gazprom
From recent reports since 2021, Gazprom currently has around 479,200 people employed in its business. The Russian-state-owned business specializes in the energy industry and, so far, is the biggest company in Russia in terms of revenue.
Besides the size of the market that the company can dominate in its home nation, Gazprom is also considered to be one of the biggest public companies in the world — with an employee base of that size. It’s no wonder that the company’s profits are still stable as of late.
13. Home Depot, Inc.
Having approximately 500,000 employees hired, the multinational home improvement company is based in America but has since expanded its network to reach other regions, such as Puerto Rico and Guam in the years it has been running.
Currently, the leading retailer in home improvement in the United States, Home Depot can turn in enough profits to sustain its huge labor force at the same time.
12. Jinneng Holding Group
Another state-owned company that has made this list with the largest number of employees is Jinneng Holding Group. Consisting of around 506,364 employees, the company is a coal mining giant based in China with huge assets to its name, such as the world’s largest coal mine methane power plant.
As expected of a company that is controlled by the government, Jinneng Holding Group has enough resources at its disposal to maintain the half-a-million-strong labor force it can provide for to the present date.
11. FedEx Corporation
FedEx Corporation is another inclusion in this list that was able to climb to the ranks as one of the biggest companies when it comes to total employee size. With around 508,650 employees being paid, the resources needed to sustain a courier service company would definitely be demanding in terms of labor.
With the current size of the company as well, it is not surprising to see the company turn it good profits consistently — especially when it can keep its labor force at such a high number.
10. U.S. Postal Service
The U.S. Postal Service has been around for several centuries already. But the company is still going strong with around 516,636 employees under its employment. An agency independent of the United States government, the U.S. Postal Service is in charge of delivering mail and other related services to citizens from all corners and areas of the United States.
While some may brand the service of the agency as being old or outdated, the huge employee base of the U.S. Postal Service is a clear indicator that the institution will continue to be strong even in the years to come.
9. Deutsche Post DHL Group
Deutsche Post DHL Group is a leading postal and parcel service provider that has firmly established its presence in the global scene. Hiring around 590,000 people and operating in more than 200 countries, the Germany-based company continues to claim the top spot in its industry in the European region.
As the business continues to expand its reach, the current employee count is still expected to grow in the near future, especially with the postal industry being stable at the moment.
8. Volkswagen
The automobile giant Volkswagen has been a mainstay in the industry for several decades now. And with the influence and powerful profits it continues to dictate regularly, it doesn’t come off as a surprise to see the company hire a lot of employees to sustain its operations all over the world.
With around 665,000 employees covered as of 2021, Volkswagen continues its winning streak as one of the most dominating companies not only against competing automobile makers but in the entire business world in general.
7. Accenture plc
Accenture plc is a consulting company based in Dublin. Specializing primarily in IT services, the company has an estimated 721,000 employees currently on its payroll — with the number expected to rise in the years to come, especially as the business spreads its already vast network.
As of date, Accenture plc has branches in regions all over the world, such as China, North America, and Europe — among many other expansions.
6. Hon Hai Precision Industry
With over 826,608 employees, the Hon Hai Precision Industry is an electronics manufacturing company based in Taiwan. Since its initial headquarters in the country, the Hon Hai Precision Industry has grown into a massive business with hundreds of thousands of employees under its care.
The company is also regarded as one of the largest technology manufacturers in the world — and with such influence on its side, Hon Hai Precision Industry will continue to dominate and retain its position in the market.
5. State Grid
State Grid is yet another company based in China that has amassed a huge number of employees since the time that it has been fully operational. With around 871,145 people currently in their labor force, the state-owned power company is a massive utility company that has broken several records due to its sheer size.
The company is still leaving a huge mark in the industry it is currently occupying. Employing an entire employee base that is already nearing the one million mark, State Grid is known to many as the largest utility company that is currently operational in the entire world.
4. China Post Group
The China Post Group has a staggering number of employees currently being hired, a whopping 927,171 people. Nearing almost a million employees, there is no doubt that China Post Group has more than enough resources to keep its boat floating for the foreseeable future.
The company, which is in an industry that relies heavily on labor to make its operations work, needs all the manpower it can get to keep running. As a postal service that is controlled by the Chinese state, things will continue to look good for this powerhouse of an organization.
3. China National Petroleum
China National Petroleum is the first company on this list to officially surpass the one million mark when it comes to the number of people employed. Amassing a whopping 1,090,345 employees, China National Petroleum is a massive business of epic proportions.
While the numbers are to be predicted from a company being primarily controlled by the state of China, it doesn’t take away from the fact that China National Petroleum is one of the most expansive businesses that the world has ever witnessed.
Belonging to the top spots of the largest companies in the world in terms of revenue, China National Petroleum is one of the largest energy corporations in the world.
2. Amazon.com, Inc.
Since the rise of e-commerce worldwide, the biggest name to come out of this business trend is the mega company Amazon. Forever revolutionizing the economies of several nations, Amazon’s influence spreads across all sides — whether it’s retail, digital entertainment, and many other outlets.
With the multi-sectoral nature of the company, it’s only natural to expect a huge labor force to keep things up and running.
With a whopping 1,608,000 employees hired as of 2021, Amazon has one of the largest employee numbers all over the world. This vast number is to be expected from a company known as the largest online retailer in the globe.
1. Walmart Inc.
Dominating the spots as the company with the most employees worldwide is none other than the mega-retailer Walmart. With over 2,300,000 employees hired as of 2022, the multinational corporation operates in over 24 countries. It is considered the world’s largest company not only in terms of its labor force but also by its revenue.
The massive reach of the business combined with the growing number of subsidiaries under the control of Walmart makes the two-million-strong employee number more reasonable. Given the reach of Walmart, the already large employee pool it has is expected to grow further in the years to come.
Which Company Has The Most Employees In The World?
Walmart Inc. is currently the company with the most employees in the world. Hiring around 2,300,000 employees, the retailing giant is a dominating force in the industry.
What Industry Hires The Most Employees?
The Consumer Electronics Manufacturing Industry has the most hired employees as of 2022. Averaging a total of around 17,518,424 in terms of employment, the Consumer Electronics Manufacturing Industry is still expected to grow amidst the higher demand.
