UK design job postings are still well below 2018 levels

Indeed Design's data showed UK UX design and research job postings sitting at roughly half of Q1 2018 levels by Q3 2023, after a pandemic-era surge and fall. It's a tighter market than the 2021 boom made it look.

Indeed Design tracked UK and Ireland UX job postings rising sharply in 2021–2022 and then falling back — by Q3 2023, UK/Ireland postings were around 50% of Q1 2018 levels. That's older data now, but it's the clearest sourced UK-specific signal available, and the general 'tighter than the boom years' picture hasn't reversed based on broader market commentary since. For a junior designer, this means casting wider than 'UX Designer at a tech scale-up' — public sector, agencies, and in-house teams outside pure tech show up more in current UK listings than you'd expect. No guarantees here, just context: a tighter market means your applications need to work harder, not that you won't get in.

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UK UX job postings still below 2018 levels

Indeed's design team found UK and Ireland UX job postings sat at roughly 50% of Q1 2018 levels by Q3 2023 — a real, data-backed dip, not just market vibes. Worth knowing before you compare your job hunt to older graduates' experience.

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