In short
The largest private employer in Moldova is Moldretail Group, the company behind the Linella chain, with 5,019 employees in 2024. In second place, a few dozen people behind, is Moldovan Railways with 4,978, after cutting 735 positions in a year. The top 50 employers together employ 67,440 people.
The figures come from the annual financial statements for 2024, in which companies declare their average headcount. Not included are budget institutions that do not file such statements (ministries, schools, police, army), banks and companies that have not filed yet.
Top 50 employers by headcount, 2024
What the ranking shows
Retail is the largest private employer
Moldretail (5,019), Imensitate (1,780), Farmacia Familiei (1,231), Kaufland (876), Vento Retail (844), Metro (566), Nanu Market (560). Seven store and pharmacy chains, almost 11,000 people. Moldretail alone added 536 employees in a year.
The automotive plants in the free zones are in the top 10
Draexlmaier, with 3,959 employees in Balti and Cahul, is the country's third-largest employer. Lear Corporation has 2,010, GG Cables & Wires 1,034. All three make wiring harnesses and components for the European car industry, under the free economic zone regime. Lear cut 443 positions compared with 2023, GG Cables added 209.
The state remains a huge employer, including through its enterprises
Moldovan Railways (4,978), Regia Transport Electric (2,467), Apa-Canal Chisinau (1,588), Moldelectrica (1,224), Termoelectrica (1,675), Moldtelecom (2,247), Chisinau-Gaz (814), Moldovatransgaz (507): eight state or municipal enterprises, almost 15,500 employees. Six of them worked at a loss or close to it in 2024.
The large hospitals have thousands of employees
The National Centre for Pre-hospital Emergency Medical Care, that is the ambulance service, has 3,818 employees. The Mother and Child Institute 2,411, the Institute of Emergency Medicine 1,930, the Republican Clinical Hospital 1,618, the Oncology Institute 1,300. They are public institutions with financial autonomy and file financial statements like any company.
IT is in the ranking, but shrinking
Endava went down from 1,166 to 969 employees. Orange Systems, the software division of the Orange group, grew to 835. Amdaris, with 460, closes the ranking. The CAEM section for information and communication has more than 7,000 active companies, but most have fewer than 10 employees; large employers are few.
Who hired and who cut
The largest headcount changes in the top 50 between 2023 and 2024:
| Company | 2023 | 2024 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moldovan Railways | 5,713 | 4,978 | -735 |
| Moldretail Group | 4,483 | 5,019 | +536 |
| Lear Corporation | 2,453 | 2,010 | -443 |
| Moldtelecom | 2,655 | 2,247 | -408 |
| Bemol Retail | 361 | 648 | +287 |
| Imensitate | 1,512 | 1,780 | +268 |
| GG Cables & Wires EE | 825 | 1,034 | +209 |
| Farmacia Familiei | 1,028 | 1,231 | +203 |
| Endava | 1,166 | 969 | -197 |
| Trabo-Plus | 1,670 | 1,838 | +168 |
The cuts come from state enterprises (the railways, Moldtelecom), from the automotive industry (Lear) and from IT (Endava). The hiring comes from retail and distribution.
How many employees Moldovan companies have in total
In the 2024 statements we hold, 1,863 companies declared a combined 117,864 employees. The figure covers, broadly, large and medium companies, not the whole economy. For comparison, in the top 100 by revenue, the companies with the most employees are not necessarily those with the highest revenue: Energocom, first by revenue, has 37 employees. The ranking by revenue is in the dedicated article.
How to check a company's headcount
On each company's page on Datero.md, the financial data section shows the number of employees by year, next to revenue and profit. A sharp drop, combined with falling revenue, is one of the signs we watch for in financial analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the largest employer in Moldova?
Among companies that file financial statements, Moldretail Group (Linella), with 5,019 employees in 2024. Budget institutions such as ministries or schools do not appear in this ranking.
Which is the largest factory in Moldova by headcount?
Draexlmaier Automotive, with 3,959 employees in 2024, a maker of automotive wiring harnesses in the free economic zones of Balti and Cahul.
How many employees does Moldovan Railways have?
4,978 in 2024, compared with 5,713 in 2023. It is the largest headcount reduction in the top 50.
How many employees does Endava have in Moldova?
969 in 2024, down from 1,166 in 2023.
Where does the data come from?
From the annual financial statements for 2024, in which companies declare their average headcount. The data is taken from public sources and shown on Datero.md on each company's page.
See the headcount of any company
Look up a company on Datero.md and see its number of employees by year, next to revenue, profit and assets.