May PM Job Market Update: A modest rebound led by remote listings

After April's sharp pullback, the PM job market steadied in May. The headline isn't the modest 1.8% global gain, though, it's the unprecedented surge in remote listings.

Subscribe here to get the next issue in your inbox.

The big takeaways

With 24,895 open listings, the PM job market grew 1.8% in May, recovering most of April's decline. The rebound was broad-based: five of seven regions returned to growth, Associate PM hiring bounced back after April's drop, and remote listings posted their biggest single-month gain in this report's history.

More importantly, the market is now 14% higher year-over-year. Senior PM (+20% YoY) and leadership (+22% YoY) hiring continue to outpace the rest of the market, while Canada and the UK lead all regions on a year-over-year basis.

Regional breakdown

United States: Strong rebound

The US bounced back to 11,494 open roles, up 4.7% month-over-month after April's 4.6% dip. The market is up 13% over six months and 18% year-over-year, making it one of the most consistent growth stories in the dataset. For US-based PMs, May looks like a return to the broader uptrend.

APAC: Mild softness continues

APAC slipped to 4,180 roles, down 2.2% in May after a similar -2.7% in April. Remote was a bright spot regionally, up 13% month-over-month and 47% year-over-year, but on-site and Senior PM segments cooled. The region is up just 2.4% over six months, the most muted growth profile globally.

EEA: Stabilizing

EEA recovered to 4,814 roles, up 2.0% after April's 11% drop. The market is up 3.6% over six months and 8.4% year-over-year. May's gain was modest but reverses the recent contraction and suggests the region's weaker patch may be passing.

United Kingdom: Another strong month

The UK rose to 1,551 roles, up 5.2% after April's 13% pullback. The market is now up 4.4% over six months and 26%year-over-year, the second-strongest YoY growth in the report. May was a clear reset back to the longer-term uptrend.

Canada: Steady climb resumes

Canada added another 1.8% to reach 1,034 roles, building on a multi-month run of strength. The market is up 31% over six months and an extraordinary 56% year-over-year, the highest in the dataset. Associate PM hiring jumped 43%month-over-month.

LATAM: Modest pullback

LATAM slipped to 890 roles, down 1.9% after March's spike and April's small gain. Even with the dip, the market is up 23% year-over-year, well above its six-month trend.

Middle East: Sharp rebound

The Middle East climbed back to 888 roles, up 5.2% after April's 18% drop. The region is now flat over six months but still up 12% year-over-year. May's bounce restores most of what April took away.

Seniority trends

Associate PMs: Rebound after April's drop

Associate PM roles grew 3.2% in May after April's 21% decline. They are still down 16% over six months but up 16%year-over-year. Entry-level hiring remains the most volatile segment, with the broader picture stabilizing rather than improving.

Mid-level PMs: Back to growth

Mid-level PM roles grew 2.5%, recovering from April's 10% drop. They are up 2.6% over six months and 12% year-over-year. The largest seniority band by volume is steadier this month after April's slide.

Senior PMs: Holding firm

Senior PM roles were essentially flat at -0.8% in May. They remain up 4.0% over six months and a strong 20% year-over-year. Companies continue to hire experienced individual contributors at a healthy clip.

Product leaders: Quiet strength

Leadership roles grew 1.2% in May. They are up 10% over six months and 22% year-over-year, the strongest YoY growth across all seniority levels. The signal is consistent: companies remain willing to invest in proven product leaders.

Work environment trends

On-site: Slight dip, still the base case

On-site roles slipped 1.2% in May after a sharper April drop. They are flat year-over-year but still represent the largest share of total listings.

Hybrid: Healthy growth

Hybrid roles grew 5.7% in May. They are up 15% over six months and 43% year-over-year, reinforcing the view that hybrid is becoming the default flexible work model.

Remote: Biggest single-month surge on record

Remote roles jumped 28% in May, the largest single-month increase I've tracked since this report began. Remote is now up 16% over six months and 27% year-over-year. After April's 27% decline, this is a strong reminder that remote demand can swing fast in either direction.

That's it for this month's report.