How many employees work at Kobe Steel?
Kobe Steel, Ltd. (5406) has approximately 39,260 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. Kobe Steel’s total headcount has grown 2.9% from 38,147 employees in 2023 to 39,260 in 2026.
Is Kobe Steel hiring right now?
Yes, Kobe Steel is actively hiring. Kobe Steel had 593 active job postings in 2026, a 69.1% decline from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About Kobe Steel’s Workforce
Kobe Steel, Ltd. (5406) is a Materials Manufacturing company that employs 39,260 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 4th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1905, the company is headquartered in Kobe, Japan and trades on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Kobe Steel's workforce has grown 2.9% from 2023 to 2026, though it is down 0.2% year over year in 2026. Its workforce is concentrated most in East Asia (30.0%), followed by South Asia (29.4%) and Southeast Asia (21.5%).
Kobe Steel's functional groups are Finance and Operations (38.6%), Engineering (33.5%), and Sales and Marketing (27.9%). The average salary is $30,830, ranging from a median of $65,000 in North America to $6,000 in South Asia, up 0.6% year over year in 2026.
Kobe Steel's active job postings fell 69.1% in 2026 to 593, with new postings per month climbing from 168 in 2023 to 557 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is negative and declining.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Ticker
- Tokyo Stock Exchange: 5406
- Headquarters
- Kobe, Japan
- Founded
- 1905
- Industry
- Materials Manufacturing
- Employees
- 39,260
- YoY
- -0.2% (-953)
As of March 2026
Kobe Steel workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for Kobe Steel. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsKobe Steel Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- Kobe Steel had 39,260 employees in 2026, a 0.2% decline (-953) from 2025.
- Kobe Steel had 39,415 employees in 2025, a 1.0% increase (-396) from 2024.
- Kobe Steel had 39,811 employees in 2024, a 2.4% increase (+954) from 2023.
- Kobe Steel had 38,857 employees in 2023, a 4.5% increase (+2,043) from 2022.
Kobe Steel's total workforce has grown from 38,147 employees in 2023 to 39,260 in 2026.
Kobe Steel, Ltd. quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 39,260 | -953 | -0.2% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 39,415 | -396 | +1.0% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 39,827 | +473 | +2.0% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 40,316 | +456 | +1.3% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 40,213 | +274 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 39,811 | +954 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 39,354 | +612 | +1.7% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 39,860 | +1,713 | +3.6% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 39,939 | +2,056 | +4.1% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 38,857 | +2,043 | +4.5% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 38,742 | +1,524 | +4.6% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 38,147 | +1,091 | +3.8% |
See Kobe Steel's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataKobe Steel Employee Count by Region (2026)
East Asia accounts for the largest share of Kobe Steel's global workforce with approximately 30% of total employees, followed by South Asia and Southeast Asia.
Kobe Steel employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| East Asia | 11,546 | 30.0% |
| South Asia | 11,280 | 29.4% |
| Southeast Asia | 8,259 | 21.5% |
| North America | 4,398 | 11.4% |
| Western Europe | 1,270 | 3.3% |
| Central and Western Asia | 669 | 1.7% |
| Arab States | 372 | 1.0% |
| Pacific Islands | 188 | 0.5% |
| Northern Europe | 184 | 0.5% |
| North Africa | 77 | 0.2% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataKobe Steel Employee Count by Department (2026)
Kobe Steel's employee groups are Finance and Operations (38.6%), Engineering (33.5%), and Sales and Marketing (27.9%).
Kobe Steel employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 15,090 | 38.6% |
| Engineering | 13,115 | 33.5% |
| Sales and Marketing | 10,905 | 27.9% |
Compare Kobe Steel's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataKobe Steel Employee Salary by Region (2026)
Kobe Steel's average employee salary is $30,830 globally. Employees in North America receive the highest compensation, with median pay approximately 2.1x the global average. Pay is lowest in South Asia, at a median of $6,000.
Kobe Steel median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Southern Europe | $65,000 |
| Arab States | $65,000 |
| North America | $65,000 |
| Northern Europe | $62,000 |
| Pacific Islands | $62,000 |
| Western Europe | $57,000 |
| East Asia | $35,000 |
| South America | $19,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $12,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $8,000 |
| South Asia | $6,000 |
| North Africa | $6,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to Kobe Steel's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataKobe Steel Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- Kobe Steel had 593 active job postings in 2026, a 69.1% decline (-140) from 2025.
- Kobe Steel had 733 active job postings in 2025, a 78.4% decline (-946) from 2024.
- Kobe Steel had 1,679 active job postings in 2024, a 131.3% increase (+1,331) from 2023.
- Kobe Steel had 348 active job postings in 2023, a 41.8% decline from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 557 new roles/month, down from 773 in 2025 and 683 in 2024.
Kobe Steel's active job postings fell 69.1% in 2026 to 593, with new postings per month climbing from 168 in 2023 to 557 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataKobe Steel Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across Kobe Steel's workforce based on public professional data. Overall sentiment is negative and has declined year over year in 2026.
Overall
Unlock the full sentiment breakdown by department, tenure, and trend over time.
Unlock SentimentSimilar Companies
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Frequently Asked Questions About Kobe Steel
- How fast is Kobe Steel growing?
- In 2026, Kobe Steel's headcount shrank 0.2% to 39,260 employees, down from 40,213 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are Kobe Steel employees located?
- Most Kobe Steel employees are based in East Asia (30.0% of headcount), followed by South Asia and Southeast Asia.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at Kobe Steel?
- The average employee salary at Kobe Steel is approximately $30.8k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does Kobe Steel open per year?
- In Q1 2026, Kobe Steel opened 1,670 new job postings. In 2025, Kobe Steel opened 9,280 new job postings — about 773 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was Kobe Steel founded and where is it headquartered?
- Kobe Steel was founded in 1905 and is headquartered in Kobe, Japan.
- Compare Kobe Steel to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about Kobe Steel.
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