It is the main employer in the area, with the Iron and Steel Works employing 5,519 people in 2005. The number of permanently employed workers has historically been declining, numbering 9,276 people in 1998, while during the communist era more than 15,000 worked there. The actual number of people working for TŽ is still somewhat higher, as many people are employed seasonally in brigade work and in affiliated facilities. The company is the main sponsor of the local ice hockey team HC Oceláři Třinec (Třinec Steelers).