Q3 2026 Insurance Labor Market Study Results Reflect Slowing Turnover and Modest Growth

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By Business Wire On Aug 26, 2026

The latest iteration of the Semi-Annual U.S. Insurance Labor Market Study, conducted by The Jacobson Group, the leading provider of talent to the insurance industry, and Aon , a leading global professional services firm, found 89% of respondents intend to increase or maintain staff size in the next 12 months.

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The results of the Q3 2026 Insurance Labor Market Study, conducted by @JacobsonGroup and @Aon_plc

“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,” said Jeffrey Blair, Senior Vice President of Executive Search and Business Development at The Jacobson Group.

“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,” added Jeff Rieder, Head of Performance Benchmarking, Strategy and Technology Group, Aon.

Some of the study’s key findings include the following:

In the next 12 months, 49% of insurance carriers plan to increase staff. Eleven percent plan to decrease staff, up from 7% in January and down from 14% one year ago.
Technology, underwriting and claims roles remain the industry’s greatest need.
Seventy-eight percent of companies expect revenue growth during the next 12 months, up six points from January’s study.
Compared to July 2025, recruiting difficulty has decreased in nine of 12 categories. Actuarial, technology and executive roles are the most challenging to fill.
During the next six months, 74% of carriers expect most employees to work a hybrid schedule, up three points from January. Seven percent require employees in the office every day, unchanged from January’s study.
If carriers follow through on their plans, the industry will see a 0.78% increase in employment during the next 12 months.

For more highlights and commentary, view the full results summary and recorded webcast.

The insurance labor market study has been conducted semi-annually since 2009. Collecting revenue and hiring projections from carriers across all sectors of the industry, it provides a valuable look at the insurance labor market outlook and hiring trends.

The study’s next iteration will occur in January 2027. To be alerted when it opens, sign up for labor study notifications.

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