On Thursday, April 2, the APEC (Association for the Employment of Executives) unveiled a study conducted in 2025 on the executive job market in the region. The first observation is that despite its demographic and economic weight, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté only accounts for 2% of executives identified by INSEE in France last year, far from the powerhouse that is Île-de-France, where 45% of working executives in the country are located.
Out of the approximately 81,430 executives identified in our region, there were 22,210 in Côte-d’Or, 17,760 in Doubs, and 14,580 in Saône-et-Loire. However, only 4,000 in Haute-Saône and 3,960 in Nièvre. On a regional scale, their average age was 44 years old, with two-thirds being men (65%, compared to 35% women). Another finding was that more than half of them worked in a very small business (TPE) or a small and medium-sized enterprise (PME): 54% in Côte-d’Or, 59% in Saône-et-Loire, and even 72% in Jura. Lastly – a regional specificity – nearly a third of them belonged to the industrial sector.
A sharp decrease in net job creation In terms of recruitment, the APEC identified 5,810 executive hires in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in 2025. This figure is slightly lower compared to 2024 (-1%) and far from the record of 6,220 hires in 2023. The data is not broken down by department, but it is noted that 61% of these positions were located in the Burgundy part of the larger region. On the other hand, the number of net job creations has significantly decreased in one year, dropping from 1,740 creations in 2024 to 1,230 in 2025. The commerce and marketing sector was the most dynamic, accounting for 23% of these new positions.
Industry struggling “The executive job market slightly contracted in 2025 in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. However, this decline is less severe than the national level (-3%),” commented Hervé Reynier, the regional delegate of APEC. According to him, “this decrease in tension is particularly linked to the industry, specifically mechanical and metallurgical sectors.” He adds that “regional companies are expecting a similar number of recruitments for 2026, with 5,810 executive hires,” but notes that “this forecast should be regarded with caution, given the current geopolitical uncertainties and variables.”
