State of the product job market in early 2026

Q: PM job openings have hit their highest level in over 3 years with 7,300+ global roles, up 75% from t

PM job openings have hit their highest level in over 3 years with 7,300+ global roles, up 75% from the early 2023 low and 20% since the start of 2026.

Q: AI roles are hockey-sticking across the board, covering both all roles at AI-driven companies like O

AI roles are hockey-sticking across the board, covering both all roles at AI-driven companies like OpenAI and Anthropic and AI-specific roles at non-AI companies like Figma.

Q: Design roles have plateaued at ~5,700 globally since early 2023, unlike PM and engineering, likely d

Design roles have plateaued at ~5,700 globally since early 2023, unlike PM and engineering, likely due to AI enabling engineers to ship faster without traditional design processes.

Lenny's Newsletter·Tuesday, March 24, 2026·5 min read

Product Technology AI/ML

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AI Summary

Lenny Rachitsky's biannual State of the Product Job Market report for early 2026 shows PM openings at the highest levels in over three years (7,300+ globally), engineering roles surging past 67,000 globally, and AI-specific roles hockey-sticking. Design roles have plateaued since early 2023, while remote work opportunities continue to decline and the Bay Area is growing in importance.

Key Facts

✓PM job openings have hit their highest level in over 3 years with 7,300+ global roles, up 75% from the early 2023 low and 20% since the start of 2026.

✓AI roles are hockey-sticking across the board, covering both all roles at AI-driven companies like OpenAI and Anthropic and AI-specific roles at non-AI companies like Figma.

✓Design roles have plateaued at ~5,700 globally since early 2023, unlike PM and engineering, likely due to AI enabling engineers to ship faster without traditional design processes.

Author Takes

BullishLenny's Newsletter

Tech hiring outlook

The surge in open tech recruiter roles — almost back to 2022 peak levels — is a leading indicator of sustained hiring demand highs in tech

BearishLenny's Newsletter

Design roles stagnation

AI is allowing engineers to move so quickly that there is less opportunity and less desire to involve the traditional design process, explaining why design roles have not recovered unlike PM and engineering

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