The insurance industry is closing out 2022 with low industry unemployment and a high level of open finance and insurance positions. Despite ongoing economic uncertainty and a pending recession, insurance remains a candidate’s market as we enter the new year. 

The health insurance industry continues to evolve, as insurers strive to best meet changing member needs and provide a holistic member experience. Now, as many health plans aim to grow their Medicare Advantage business, the ability to effectively deliver on these initiatives has become a key differentiator. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, there are 3,998 Medicare Advantage plans available for the 2023 enrollment period. On average, a Medicare beneficiary can choose from 43 Medicare Advantage plans, compared to just 20 plans five years ago.

As we near the end of 2022, the insurance labor market remains relatively strong. Unemployment is low, at 1.1%, and the insurance carriers and related activities sector has added nearly 34,000 jobs since the start of the year.

The overall U.S. economy exceeded job growth expectations in September. While the insurance carriers and related activities sector experienced a slight decrease in employment, industry unemployment dropped to below 1% for the first time in nearly a year. Wages also increased year-over-year across all insurance sectors.

The industry’s labor market remains strong with accelerating wage growth and continued low unemployment. Wage inflation for the industry is high, trending toward an overall 6.3 aggregate percent increase in 2022, compared to just 0.8 in 2021. This increase is even more pronounced for property and casualty carriers, which are trending toward a 10.5 aggregate percent increase, compared to -0.3 in 2021; and life and health carriers, which are trending toward 7.4, compared to 0.8 in 2021.