Executive Burnout in 2025: A Comprehensive Analysis

Burnout's Rising Toll on Executive Performance

Burnout among executives and middle managers is no longer a background issue. In 2025, it has become a central factor affecting employee well-being, organizational culture, and bottom-line performance. This report synthesizes the latest research to provide an authoritative overview of burnout prevalence, role-specific impacts, demographic trends, and contributing workplace conditions. It also outlines actionable strategies to mitigate burnout and enhance leadership sustainability.

Burnout Rates in 2025: A Global Snapshot

Workplace burnout has reached alarming levels. Globally, 82 percent of employees are at risk. In the United States, 77 percent of workers report having experienced burnout in their current roles, with more than half facing recurring episodes. In the United Kingdom, 79 percent of employees report burnout, and 35 percent describe their condition as severe or extreme.

The World Health Organization defines burnout as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by feelings of energy depletion, increased mental distance from one’s job, and reduced professional efficacy. As hybrid work models blur boundaries between personal and professional life, burnout has become more prevalent across age groups and industries.

Role-Based Burnout: C-Suite and Middle Managers Under Pressure

C-Suite Burnout

Burnout at the executive level carries a steep financial and operational cost. On average, burnout-related disengagement costs companies $20,683 per executive annually. The leadership burden is intensified by complex decision-making and limited internal support. In a 2022 Deloitte survey, 69 percent of C-suite executives reported considering resignation due to burnout. In 2025, social media sentiment and industry reports indicate that 70 percent of executives have contemplated leaving their roles for mental health reasons.

Executives often face invisible stressors, including loneliness in leadership, reputational pressures, and strategic overload. With increasing stakeholder demands, regulatory compliance, and economic volatility, leadership resilience is being tested as never before.

Middle Manager Burnout

Middle managers experience similar levels of strain. The estimated annual cost of burnout for each middle manager is $10,824. This reflects increased workload, diminished support, and growing bureaucracy resulting from organizational flattening.

Middle managers serve as a vital link between strategy and execution. When middle management is downsized, the remaining managers face disproportionate responsibilities without clear authority or tools to succeed. As a result, 44 percent of middle managers identify organizational bureaucracy as their top stressor.

Burnout by Industry: Where the Pressure Peaks

Burnout prevalence varies dramatically by sector:

The services and hospitality sectors report the highest burnout, primarily driven by client-facing pressure and resource shortages. Healthcare remains a critical concern, particularly among nurses. The legal field also shows alarming daily burnout rates due to billable hours, adversarial environments, and emotional toll.

In the technology sector, burnout rates range widely depending on team structure, leadership style, and support for remote or flexible work. Startups often see higher rates due to fast-paced expectations and limited resources.

Burnout by Age: Early Peaks Among Younger Professionals

Generational analysis reveals distinct burnout patterns:

• Gen Z and Millennials: Burnout peaks at age 25, with 70 percent reporting symptoms in the past year. Contributors include job instability, student debt, social comparison pressures, and unclear career paths.

• General Workforce: The average American experiences peak burnout at age 42, often due to mid-career stress, family caregiving responsibilities, and stagnant advancement opportunities.

Millennials, now entering leadership roles, are uniquely positioned to experience both high expectations and constrained autonomy. Their work values—such as flexibility, purpose, and well-being—are not always aligned with legacy workplace systems.

Burnout by Gender: Widening Disparities in 2025

Burnout continues to affect women more severely:

• Women: 42 percent report feeling burned out. Over 50 percent in leadership roles feel consistently overwhelmed. Sick day usage is higher among women (54 percent) compared to men (35 percent).

• Men: 35 percent report burnout, highlighting that the issue spans all genders but with varying intensity.

Since 2019, the gender gap in burnout has doubled, underlining the need for gender-responsive workplace support. Women are more likely to shoulder caregiving roles, experience workplace microaggressions, and receive less recognition for their contributions—all of which compound stress.

Most Vulnerable Groups: Who Is Most at Risk?

Certain groups are disproportionately affected:

• Middle Managers: Often squeezed between strategic directives and employee needs, they cite bureaucracy, unclear expectations, and resource scarcity as primary stressors.

• Younger Workers: Gen Z and Millennials report a lack of mentorship, poor onboarding, and mental health stigma.

• Women in Leadership: High emotional labor, unequal advancement opportunities, and caregiving burdens increase vulnerability.

• High-Risk Industries: Hospitality, construction, healthcare, legal, and tech report burnout rates well above average.

Key Drivers of Workplace Burnout in 2025

Organizations face multiple structural and cultural factors contributing to burnout:

• Excessive Workloads: 24 percent of employees cite unmanageable workloads. Always-on expectations in digital environments have eliminated natural recovery cycles.

• Organizational Bureaucracy: Red tape delays decision-making and stifles innovation, especially demoralizing for middle managers.

• Unrealistic Deadlines: High expectations without adequate resources exacerbate anxiety, particularly in client-driven industries.

• Reduced Middle Management: Fewer managers mean communication breakdowns, role confusion, and gaps in mentorship.

• Mental Health Challenges: Depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders are increasingly common among working adults.

• Return-to-Office Mandates: Many employees—especially caregivers and those with health concerns—find these policies inflexible and destabilizing.

Other contributors include lack of recognition, poor leadership communication, and limited access to mental health services.

Evidence Base: Research Supporting These Findings

• Forbes: Job Burnout at 66 Percent in 2025

• Forbes: 82 Percent of the Workforce Is at Risk for Burnout (Link)

• Forbes: 36 Percent of Managers Report Alarming Levels of Stress in 2024 (Link)

• Forbes: Burnout by Design: How Cutting Middle Management Affects Company Culture (Link)

• Fortune: Burnout Is Costing Companies Up to $5 Million a Year (Link)

• Fortune: Burned-Out Executives Can Cost Companies Over $20,000 (Link)

• Spill.chat: 64 Workplace Burnout Statistics You Need to Know for 2024 (Link)

• Deloitte: 2021 Workplace Burnout Survey (Link)

• HRD America: C-Suite Suffering from Burnout (Link)

• McKinsey & Company: Middle Managers Can Succeed by Simplifying the Role (Link)

• Gallup: State of the Global Workplace (Link)

• American Medical Association: Physician Burnout Drops Below 50 Percent for First Time in a Decade (Link)

• Louis L. Carter on X: 70 Percent of Executives Considered Quitting (Link)

Strategic Response to Burnout Trends

Executive burnout is a defining issue of 2025. With 82 percent of employees at risk, targeted action is urgent. Middle managers, younger professionals, and women in leadership are especially vulnerable. High-burnout sectors such as hospitality, technology, and healthcare require prioritized support.

Organizations must act decisively by managing workloads, simplifying bureaucracy, and expanding mental health resources. Leadership teams should foster a culture of psychological safety, invest in managerial development, and support hybrid flexibility.

Addressing burnout is not just a matter of wellness, but of leadership sustainability and organizational resilience. Companies that prioritize well-being will gain competitive advantage, foster retention, and position themselves for long-term success.