Executive compensation is experiencing a significant downturn for the first time since 2010, according to the latest barometer published on November 5 by the Association for Executive Employment (APEC). The report indicates that when adjusted for inflation, real salaries for executives have decreased by 3.6%, leading to a notable reduction in purchasing power.
This decline has had a direct impact on morale within the professional sector. Executives affected by this trend report growing dissatisfaction that extends across their entire professional lives. Consequently, salary increases have become the top priority for more than half of them, surpassing concerns regarding work-life balance or finding meaning in their work.
On a global scale, the median gross annual remuneration for executives, including both fixed and variable components, fell by nearly 2% over the past year to reach 54,000 euros. Annelore Coury, director of APEC, noted that this is only the second time such a decline has been observed since the barometer was established in 2007, with the previous instance occurring in 2010 following the financial crisis.
The data highlights a widening gap between wage growth and rising costs. While consumer prices increased by 3.4% over the year ending in October according to the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee), less than half of executives received a raise in 2026. Only 46% saw their salaries increase, a figure that has dropped from 53% in 2025 and 60% in 2024.
Sources: Le Monde Économie.