NU Online News Service, May 11, 10:00 a.m.EDT

Employment in the insurance industry increased in March relativeto April, according to an Insurance Information Institute analysisof U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, but the slight bump istypical of a March vs. February comparison, the I.I.I. notes.

Direct property and casualty employment was up by 300 jobs, or0.1 percent, to 459,300 compared to February. The P&C sectorwas down by 1.6 percent compared to March 2010. The I.I.I. saysthis is consistent with a typical March vs. February comparisonwhere P&C employment goes up by between 0.1 percent and 0.2percent.

Beyond just P&C direct employment, all sectors of theinsurance industry saw an increase in employment for the monthexcept third-party administration, which shed 800 jobs relative toFebruary. Employment for third-party administration stood at127,800 as of March.

Reinsurers added 400 jobs compared to February, a 1.5 percentincrease. Employment was up by 800 jobs, or 3 percent, compared toMarch 2010. March 2011 employment for reinsurers was 27,400.

Agents and brokers added 2,300 jobs in March compared toFebruary, but lost 1,800 compared to March 2010. The I.I.I. notesthat the BLS data does not separate life agents from P&Cagents, or agents from brokers.

Jobs for claims adjusters increased by 200, or 1.1 percent,compared to February, but decreased by 1,700 compared to March2010.

Life insurers saw an increase of 1,000 jobs relative toFebruary, while health/medical insurers saw an increase of 200 jobsand “title and other direct” increased by 600 jobs.