State Farm looks to fill 300 open positions

After a few years of leaving positions open, State Farm Insurance Cos. is looking to fill 3,000 jobs. (WJBC file photo)

BLOOMINGTON – After a few years of leaving positions open, State Farm Insurance Cos. is now looking to fill 3,000 jobs – including 300 in Bloomington.

State Farm spokeswoman Holly Anderson said the Bloomington-based insurer became “very conservative” about hiring and staffing levels during the economic downtown.

But she said the decision to begin filling the 3,000 posts was not directly related to economic conditions now. Rather, she said the company was “encouraged” by changes in technology, customer preferences and emerging competitors, among other factors.

“It’s part of running a major business — that involves periodically examining what’s working for us, and what’s not,” Anderson said Friday.

Locally, she said State Farm has seen turnover from people who retired and other natural attrition. She said that an internal review last year of five departments led to a reshuffling of personnel, but locally did not lead to a “net reduction” of positions.

“These local jobs are a result of us not replacing folks who have moved on,” Anderson said in an email.

State Farm now has about 15,000 employees in Bloomington. It is McLean County’s top employer.

The 3,000 openings are in claims, customer service, IT/Systems, and underwriting.

Ryan Denham can be reached at ryan@wjbc.com.