Insurance needs to hire tech and underwriting roles

Technology, underwriting and claims remain the top needed roles for the insurance industry. 

Actuarial, technology and executive roles are also the most challenging to fill, according to the Jacobson Group and Aon's Semi-Annual U.S. Insurance Labor Market Study. Eighteen percent of companies said the ability to hire talent has become more difficult compared to last year.

A majority of insurance companies plan to increase or maintain staff size in the next 12 months, according to study. Forty-nine percent of insurers plan to increase staff in the next 12 months. 

"While about half of carriers plan to increase their staff sizes in the next 12 months, it seems many companies are hiring to backfill key positions and bring in new talent, rather than hiring for growth, given revenue expectations," Jeffrey Blair, SVP of executive search and business development at The Jacobson Group, said in a statement.

Eleven percent of companies are planning to decrease the number of employees, down from 14% in the July 2025 study. Automation was cited as the most common reason companies plan to reduce the number of employees during the next 12 months.

"Lower employee turnover, both voluntary and involuntary is a positive trend that may indicate more stability for carriers, but also make recruiting for certain positions more challenging if incumbents are not actively looking to leave their current employer," Jeff Rieder, head of performance benchmarking, strategy and technology group at Aon, said in a press release.