The insurance industry is still hiring—even if the pace has cooled. According to the latest Semi-Annual U.S. Insurance Labor Market Study from The Jacobson Group and Aon, 86% of carriers plan to either add or maintain staff over the next 12 months. That figure underscores the sector’s steady resilience even as other industries grapple with tighter labor markets and ongoing cost pressures.
Hiring Outlook: Flat but Strong
Just over half of carriers (53%) say they’ll increase headcount, a slight dip—down two points—from January’s report. Another third expect to hold staffing steady. The expected net result: a 1.03% increase in insurance employment over the next year.
That might not sound dramatic, but Jeffrey Blair, SVP at The Jacobson Group, called the market “strong and stable,” noting that actual employment growth over the past year beat expectations. Staff cuts were also lower than anticipated, a sign of cautious optimism across the industry.
Aon’s Jeff Rieder added that many companies are eyeing business volume growth and new market expansion, fueling continued hiring needs despite only modest overall growth.
Where the Demand Is
The study highlights several hot spots for talent:
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Technology, underwriting, and claims remain the most in-demand roles.
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Actuarial, executive, and analytics positions are still the toughest to fill—consistent with trends seen across financial services.
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Recruiting difficulty has eased in 9 of 12 job categories compared to July 2024, a sign that supply-demand mismatches may be stabilizing.
Hybrid Rules the Office
Workplace flexibility remains sticky. 78% of insurers expect most employees to work a hybrid schedule over the next six months, up three points from January. At the same time, the number of carriers requiring daily in-office attendance doubled to 8%—a small but notable shift as some employers nudge harder toward return-to-office.
Why It Matters
For an industry often labeled conservative, insurance is quietly navigating the same talent dynamics roiling tech and finance: digital transformation, rising demand for data-driven decision-making, and workforce flexibility battles. The sustained need for tech and analytics roles also reflects insurers’ push to modernize legacy systems and harness AI—moves critical to competing with insurtech challengers.
The Semi-Annual Insurance Labor Market Study has tracked these shifts since 2009, making it a key barometer for industry hiring. The next update is due in January 2026, but for now, the headline is clear: steady demand, ongoing talent shortages, and a hybrid workplace that isn’t going anywhere.
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