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.

It's easy to assume the market is exactly as bad as Reddit threads suggest, but Indeed's own posting data gives a clearer picture: UK and Ireland design job postings rose sharply in 2022 then fell back to around half of their Q1 2018 volume by Q3 2023. That's a genuine contraction, not just anecdote — but it's an average across all design roles and seniorities, so it hides variation between specialisms and regions. Don't let one aggregate stat set your expectations for your specific target roles; track the postings you actually care about over time instead of the whole market average.

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