Some estimates suggest there are roughly 14 million workers within the global automotive industry. And 1.7 million of them are U.S. autoworkers. But of all the car company employees out there, which auto brand employs the most? And which automaker is responsible for the most automotive livelihoods? Keep reading to see which car brand has the most employees.

You might be surprised to learn which automaker represents the most workers and where your favorite car brand falls on the employment numbers list of the top 10 automotive employers.

Volkswagen employs the most people

When you think of which car brands are the biggest, you might think of the number of vehicle models on the market or the total units sold. But when you consider the number of car company employees, as Companies Market Cap points out, the largest automaker is hands-down The Volkswagen Group.

Volkswagen employs more than 676,900 staff members across its many manufacturing plants worldwide. And 120,000 of those automotive workers are based in the company’s home country of Germany.

With so many brands, it only makes sense

According to Alan’s Factory Outlet, part of VW’s massive roster of employees points to how the automaker structures itself as a company. Corporate statutes govern the worldwide production lines from Germany. Meaning the Germany-based supervisory board controls whether any global plant closes or remains open. 

But it’s also kind of obvious that VW is the largest employer of autoworkers because of the sheer number of brands that fall under The Volkswagen Group umbrella.

The VW Group is made up of ten car brands across five European countries, including Volkswagen, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, CUPRA, Audi, Lamborghini, ŠKODA, SEAT, Bentley, Porsche, and Ducati. The company operates worldwide with 119 production plants spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. 

If you’re new to buying Volkswagen, you might want to check out the full roster of popular and top-selling models, as outlined by TrueCar. 

• Tiguan (crossover)
• ID.4 (electric crossover)
• Taos (5-passenger SUV)
• Golf GTI (4-door hatchback)
• Golf R (5-passenger hatchback)
• Atlas (midsize SUV)
• Atlas Cross (5-passenger SUV)
• Jetta (sedan)

Comparing to the employee rosters of other automakers

Most consumers would guess Toyota or Ford to be the car brands with the biggest roster of employees. And you wouldn’t be wrong. Toyota Motor Corporation actually comes in second with more than 370,870 people working within their global facilities.

In the U.S., Toyota says it operates 14 manufacturing facilities, employing more than 32,000 people across its design, engineering, and assembly jobs. While these totals pale in comparison to that of VW, it’s still an impressive presence, both worldwide and stateside.

Coming in third and fourth on the car companies employees comparison ranking are Daimler AG and the Honda Motor Company, with 288,481 and 218,674 employees, respectively. SAIC Motor, China’s largest automaker, employs approximately 204,815 autoworkers, securing its spot as the fifth-largest car brand employer. Ford comes in sixth, employing roughly 186,000 employees. Renault is seventh with 179,565 staff members. 

General Motors comes in eighth with 155,000 employees. The Chinese manufacturer, Dongfeng Motor Corporation, holds the ninth position with 136,549 staff. And Nissan rounds out the tenth position with 136,000 automotive employees.

As a car-buying consumer, what do these numbers mean to you? If you’re motivated by those car brands with the most influence on workers’ lives, it’s nice to know which automakers have the biggest impact. And if you’re choosing to buy from a brand with an effort to support those hard-working employees, this top 10 list of the largest global employers can certainly help narrow your search.