Editor's Note: This article originally appeared inNational Underwriter,P&C.

Since the economic recession began in December 2007, employmentin the insurance industry has decreased across multiple sectors,including claim adjusting.

That is according to the Insurance Information Institute's(I.I.I.) latest report, "InsuranceIndustry Employment Trends: 1990-2010," which examinesemployment trends for property and casualty, claim adjusters,reinsurers, agents, brokers, third-party administrators, andothers.

I.I.I. noted that data in the report is through June 2010.

The report found that overall employment in the P&Cinsurance industry is down by 27,000 jobs, or 5.5 percent, to464,100 since the recession began.

The report also noted P&C insurance employment is down by17,700 jobs compared to June of 2009 but is up by 1,700 jobs fromMay of this year.

The 0.4 percent increase in June could help reverse a trend ofdeclining P&C employment each month since August 2009, thereport said.

Claim adjusting employment, however, has stayed depressed, having lost 8,500 jobs, or 16.3percent, since the start of the recession in Dec. 2007 to a totalof 43,500. Employment in this sector is down by 5,100 compared toJune 2009 but has not changed from May 2010.

In reinsurance, I.I.I. said employment was down by 1,400 jobs,or 5.2 percent, to 25,500 since Dec. 2007.

Compared to June 2009, employment in this sector is down by 7.6percent and is down by 0.4 percent from May 2010.

Employment at insurance agencies and brokerages is down by48,800 jobs, or 7.2 percent, to 630,800 since Dec. 2007.

Agent and broker employment is down by 3.1 percent compared toJune 2009 and up 0.2 percent from May 2010.

There are now 51,400 fewer agents and brokers than there werethree years ago, the report noted.