A group of 19 U.S. property-casualty reinsurers saw net premiums written rise 5.3 percent, growing $1.2 billion to $23.9 billion for 2008, according to a Reinsurance Association of America survey.

Property-casualty insurers in the United Kingdom are more optimistic about rates increasing and the future of their operations than three months ago and plan to hire additional workers, according to a consulting firm study.

Advertised vacancies in March for jobs in the business and financial operations sector declined by 83,600 on a not seasonally adjusted basis from the March 2008 level, according to a report released today.

The Insurance Brokers and Agents of the West said it has taken over administration of the California Insurance Careers Program (CA-ICP) that unites community colleges, workforce investment boards, businesses and high school level education in California.

NU readers answering our first online poll agreed recent clashes between Washington and AIG make federal insurance regulation more likely. This week's poll asks if AIG will be able to repay its bailout funding. Respond at www.property-casualty.com.

Paul Magaril, regional manager and counsel for Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, has been named a member of the New York task force designed to examine and issue recommendations on troubled self-insured workers' compensation trusts

Tropics Software Technologies, a software company specializing in workers' compensation systems, has been selected by Risk Services, LLC, to support the rollout of a new workers' compensation program

It's time for independent agencies that do an outstanding job selling insurance and providing risk management services for their clients to prepare their entries for NU's "Commercial Insurance Agency Of The Year" award program for 2009.