UX Job Market Update: July 2026, US Heat Score at 65

July 2026 Heat Score: 65 — Warm

The US UX job market scored 65 out of 100 in July 2026, maintaining a Warm market state — a significant rebound from June’s Cool reading of 40. An estimated 52,350 total job postings across five tracked design and product categories suggest steady demand, even as layoffs spiked to 10,505 across roughly 40 events. The market appears locked in a holding pattern, with hiring momentum offset by a fresh wave of restructuring at major tech firms.

Role-by-Role Breakdown

• Product Design: 16,400 postings (+3.8% MoM)
• Product Management: 31,900 postings (+5.3% MoM)
• UX Research: 920 postings (−6.1% MoM)
• Design Operations: 835 postings (−2.4% MoM)
• Design Engineering: 2,510 postings (+15.6% MoM)

Trends

July’s market tells a story of two forces pulling in opposite directions. Job postings continued their upward trajectory, with Design Engineering (+15.6%) and Product Management (+5.3%) leading the gains — a pattern consistent with the industry’s accelerating investment in AI-adjacent product roles. Product Design postings rose modestly (+3.8%), reflecting sustained but cautious demand for core design talent.

The flip side: layoffs tripled compared to June, driven largely by Intel and Cisco’s restructuring announcements. UX Research postings fell another 6.1%, extending a multi-month slide that mirrors the broader de-prioritization of standalone research roles. Remote listings dipped slightly to 29.4% of total postings as return-to-office mandates continued to expand.

Layoffs

Tech layoffs surged to 10,505 in July — nearly double June’s 5,460 and the highest monthly total since early 2025. Intel and Cisco accounted for over 40% of the total. Notable companies that trimmed headcount:

• Intel — 2,800
• Cisco — 1,500
• Workday — 700
• DocuSign — 580
• Autodesk — 520
• Toast — 480
• Rivian — 450
• Snap — 425
• Twilio — 400
• ServiceNow — 350

Data sources: Adzuna API (US job postings, past 30 days — July figures interpolated due to temporary API outage) and layoffs.fyi (tech layoff tracker). Heat Score computed from job posting trends weighted against layoff activity. Full methodology at academyux.com/ux-job-market-hot-or-not.