Although their claim forces have been reduced by 16 percent, a majority of insurers still say that hiring qualified claim adjusters is a priority, according to a recent study conducted by GreatInsuranceJobs.com.

The whitepaper, titled "2010 Insurance Industry Hiring Outlook," consists of information that the company compiled from 131 insurance entities, including insurers; agents and brokers; third-party administrators; and managing general agents.

Its goal was to find out who is currently hiring and forecast challenges for the insurance industry in 2010.

According to results, more than 60 percent of the surveyed companies plan to hire claim professionals in 2010. The report concludes that companies are being very picky and have a large pool of candidates from which to select.

The study also found that big companies are doing a majority of the hiring. Organizations with more than 5,000 employees (18 percent of surveyed companies) are, in total, hiring 67 percent of the current jobs open, or 5,923. The top jobs with large and small employers are the same, though, and include claims, customer service, call center, sales, and underwriting.

All in all, the report paints a somewhat rosy picture for the rest of 2010. The report said the insurance executives interviewed were much more upbeat than the last time [GreatInsuranceJobs.com] talked to them in September 2009. Last year, uncertainty in hiring dominated insurers' hiring predictions. This year, insurers seem to have a more defined hiring plan and are optimistic that the worst has past."

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