Hi Reader,

Over the past year, I’ve been deeply engaged in understanding the product management job market. My goal is to provide you with insights that help you succeed.

I also want you to recognise that your experiences may be influenced by market conditions, rather than solely by your own qualifications.

Insights from around the world

In speaking with product managers globally—from Seattle to Singapore—I’ve noticed a common pattern. Many believe their job market experiences reflect personal shortcomings.

However, I don’t think that’s true.

The data I’ve gathered this year supports this view.

New data unveiled

This month, I’ve introduced new insights that I believe haven't been shared anywhere else. I examined how competition levels vary across different regions in the job market.

By assessing how many product managers are active job seekers, both publicly and privately, I gained a clearer picture of competition.

In total, I found that there is 1 product manager job for every 37 product managers seeking work.

Regional differences

When looking at the data globally, I was surprised by the findings. The United States has the lowest competition among product managers.

With about 210,000 product managers currently seeking a new role, and fewer than 10,000 open roles, opportunities are relatively accessible (but still competitive).

Conversely, the APAC region has close to 400,000 job seekers but with less than 4,000 roles available. This scenario creates the most intense competition for positions.

Explaining the data

When I shared this data on LinkedIn and Reddit, I received inquiries from many of you.

Some wondered why they see hundreds of applications despite the dataset showing far fewer roles.

This data assumes individuals apply for only one job, which isn’t the case. Based on a survey I’m currently running, many PMs are applying for 50 to 100+ jobs before securing a role.

Multiply that by the number of job seekers, and it explains the flood of applications for each job.

Making informed career decisions

Here is what I believe is most important for you to take away from this information:

Understanding the current job market dynamics will enable you to make better-informed decisions about your career path.

If you’re feeling uncertain about growth opportunities or satisfaction in your current role, consider the alternative before rushing into it. Don't be misled by the experience you had a few years ago.

Succeeding in today's product management job market takes considerable effort. Many of my clients can attest to that.

But success is possible. I'll share more on that in the weeks ahead.

Let’s connect

I welcome your feedback and questions.

What else would you like to know about the product management job market that I haven’t yet covered?

Let me know, and I wish you a wonderful day.

Wishing you success,
James