Are you interested in starting a career in UX design? If so, you might have some questions about the current state of UX design, and how it fits into the current news frenzy surrounding layoffs and overall job market trends.
In this article, we will take a look at the current state of UX design job trends and how it impacts the career of a UX designer, looking ahead into 2023 and beyond. We’ll share current job market trends, long-term forecasts, and how you can proactively stay ahead of the curve and maintain hireability throughout your career.
An Increasing Demand for UX Professionals, Amid Falling Job Rates
There has been a flurry of reports and speculations around recent layoffs, which make it feel like the tech job market is slowing or shrinking.
However, analysis from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics by CompTIA found that job postings for tech positions totaled 623,627 in May—and nearly 2.2 million during 2022 so far—representing a 52% increase over the previous year.
This aligns with overarching trends of growth that are very promising for job seekers, especially when compared with pre-pandemic averages.
For example, there were about 261,000 jobs added in October 2022 alone. Despite this being the lowest since December 2020, it's still a 59% increase from the 2019 monthly average of 164,000 (source).
These numbers offer a more positive and bigger-picture perspective into news reports about worrisome layoffs, and how they might affect your job search.
Many of the layoff trends in the tech industry, especially for some of the bigger name companies, seem to be a result of companies having to pull back after initially increasing their headcount in anticipation of growth trajectories—which were fueled by the pandemic or high valuations that have since adapted.
For a deeper look, check out the online layoffs tracker that lends insight into who is letting go of employees—and why.