In an unstable economic context, professional trajectories are evolving rapidly. A recent study by LHH informs us that the return to salaried employment is progressing significantly. It now represents 55.6% of transitions in the second half of 2025, compared to 50.8% in the first half of 2024.
This nearly five-point increase in two years confirms a structural shift. Professional transitions are leaning more towards secure choices. Salaried employment is becoming a preferred option in the face of economic and geopolitical uncertainties.
Conversely, alternatives are declining. Entrepreneurship is decreasing to 21.4%, down from 22.9% before. Long-term training programs are following the same trend, dropping from 18.3% to 17.0%.
Entrepreneurship is also seeing reduced timelines, from 9.7 to 8.2 months. Late-career programs are also decreasing, from 13.7 to 11.9 months.
Meanwhile, long-term training paths remain stable, with an average duration of around 4.5 months. However, they are less appealing in an uncertain environment.
The return to salaried employment is explained by several factors. Candidates prioritize career continuity and income stability. The risks associated with entrepreneurship appear higher in an unstable environment.
“Returns to employment are plentiful, but trajectories are becoming more contrasting: reassignment times are lengthening, while companies are increasingly targeting ‘job-ready’ profiles, extending the selection time for some candidates.” (LHH career transitions specialist Michaël Chambon)
If salaried employment is on the rise, the time to access it is increasing. The average reassignment duration reached 7.6 months in the second half of 2025, up from 6.5 months a year prior.
This increase reflects a tightening of recruitment processes. Companies are adopting a more cautious stance in the face of economic uncertainties. They prioritize profiles that are immediately operational.
The number of job offers is also shrinking. This context reinforces employers’ selection power. Candidates must meet higher requirements.
These changes directly question HR strategies. Professional transitions are becoming more complex to support, requiring a fine balance between company expectations and candidate aspirations.
The profile of transitioning candidates is evolving significantly. Executives now represent 47.7% of job returns, up from 36.8% at the beginning of 2024.
This increase is explained by restructuring changes. Support functions and managerial roles are more affected. Executives also have a competitive advantage.
Their versatile skills facilitate mobility. Project management, analysis, and leadership are in demand. Their adaptability allows them to bounce back more easily.
Conversely, the proportion of blue-collar workers is decreasing sharply, from 21.7% to 13.2% in job returns. This shift underscores growing inequalities in professional transitions.
The welcoming sectors are also evolving. Industry accounts for 30% of salaried job returns. Commerce is on the rise at 19.1%.
Health and social action are gaining ground, increasing from 3.3% to 5.1%. Conversely, finance and tech are each declining to 5.1%.
These data confirm a restructuring of the labor market. Salaried employment remains preferred, but in a more demanding environment.
For HR, the challenge is clear: secure career paths while enhancing the sustainable employability of talents.
