Rumors of Liberty Mutual Insurance’s demise in Massachusetts are unfounded, if the number of jobs it’s looking to fill in the state is any indication.
The insurer has more than 600 job openings listed on LinkedIn that are in or just outside of Boston. That’s about the same amount as State Street Corp. (NYSE: STT), even though State Street has twice as many employees in Massachusetts — over 11,000 to Liberty Mutual’s 5,200-plus. (For a look at other local finance and insurance companies that are hiring, check out the attached photo gallery).

Liberty Mutual announced earlier this year that it plans to build a new Texas facility to house up to 5,000 employees, prompting speculation that Liberty Mutual would transfer jobs out of state. But the insurer has maintained that it will not move Massachusetts jobs to the new facility, and instead will increase its in-state headcount in the years ahead.

“We’re very proud to call Boston our home, and we’ll continue to grow in the city,” said Jodi Wallach, Liberty Mutual’s assistant vice president of talent acquisition.

Over the past four years, Liberty Mutual has increased its headcount in Massachusetts by approximately 1,000 employees. It plans to continue adding jobs in the state at a similar pace going forward, according to Wallach. Overall, the company is looking to hire 25,000 employees worldwide over the next five years.
The majority of open positions in Boston relate to corporate support functions such as actuaries, product managers, business analysts and distribution leaders, Wallach said.

One area Liberty Mutual is targeting is data analysis, according to Wallach. The company aims to fill data-related positions such as director of data strategy and data analysis technologist, but demand is outstripping supply, she said. “All companies, not just the insurance industry, are hungry for data-savvy talent,” Wallach said. “It’s a little bit of a war for talent.”

From: http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/