More than 26,000 businesses in the department are affected by a medium-term transfer. The study published in the year 2025 by the CCI Nice Côte d’Azur provides a detailed report. It highlights the sectors, territories, and jobs that are at risk.
Business transfer has become a central issue in the Alpes-Maritimes. According to data as of December 31, 2024, 26,624 businesses in the department have a leader aged 55 or older. This represents 36% of the businesses with headquarters registered locally. More than 109,000 jobs are affected by this phenomenon.
The median age of business leaders facing transfer is 62 years. Thus, half of them have exceeded this age. On a territorial scale, the median age of leaders is lower, at 49 years. This gap highlights the scale of expected departures in the coming years.
The employment dependency rate reaches nearly 62%. In other words, six out of ten jobs depend on businesses led by someone aged 55 or older. This rate has been continuously increasing since 2011. In just over ten years, it has risen by 20 points in the department.
Unequally exposed sectors
The services sector concentrates the majority of the issues. It comprises 16,445 businesses potentially up for transfer, accounting for 62% of the total. This sector also accounts for more than 66,000 dependent jobs. In certain activities, the situation is more pronounced. Real estate has 51% of leaders aged 55 and older. In finance and insurance, the job dependency rate reaches 82%.
The industry presents a different profile. It only encompasses 5% of the businesses up for transfer, but it shows the highest dependency rate. In 2024, 76% of the industrial jobs in the department are linked to leaders aged 55 and older. This represents more than 14,000 positions.
The trade sector holds an intermediate position. It includes nearly 5,800 affected businesses and about 19,600 dependent jobs. Retail trade appears particularly exposed. Construction remains the sector least affected, with 32% of leaders aged 55 and older, yet more than 8,500 jobs remain concerned.
The size of the businesses also plays a role. Nearly nine out of ten businesses up for transfer have fewer than six employees. However, the share of leaders aged 55 and older increases with the size of the entities. It reaches 67% in businesses with 50 employees or more.
Contrasting territories in the department
The geographical distribution shows different situations. The coastal municipalities display relatively homogeneous rates. The issues are more pronounced in mid and upper lands. At the intercommunal level, the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis concentrates the largest number of dependent jobs, with more than 51,000 positions. Its dependency rate stands at 60%.
The Community of Agglomeration Sophia Antipolis shows an even higher rate, at 69%, affecting more than 29,000 jobs. Conversely, the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis has the lowest share of businesses up for transfer, at 34%. The other intercommunalities in the department range around 38 to 39%.
In response to these findings, the CCI Nice Côte d’Azur is deploying support actions. The Entrepreneurship Center assists sellers and buyers. The goal is to prepare transfers, maintain activities, and preserve local jobs. The initiative relies notably on the national tool Transentreprise and partnerships with local stakeholders.
In Alpes-Maritimes, business transfer is no longer a sporadic issue. It is now considered a structural question for the local economy and employment.
