State Farm claims jobs will grow by about 3,000 during 2027, a 10% increase on a claims workforce of roughly 30,000 across the United States. The insurer announced the plan on Friday 25 September 2026 and said it expects to hire about 5,500 people into Claims over the year once attrition is counted.
What State Farm Announced
The announcement is a hiring plan for a single department, Claims, at the largest property and casualty insurer in the United States by premium. These are the figures the company published.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Net additions to the claims workforce | about 3,000 |
| Increase on current claims headcount | about 10% |
| Current claims workforce | about 30,000 |
| Total hires into Claims during 2027 | about 5,500 |
| Period | throughout 2027, with hiring already under way |
Chris Schell, an executive vice president at State Farm, said in the company’s announcement that the people who work in Claims “are on the front lines of delivering the promise we make to our customers”. The release describes a “Human + Digital” approach, pairing tools and technology with the judgement and experience of staff.
Why 5,500 Hires Produce Only 3,000 More Jobs
The two numbers are not in conflict, and the difference is the part most reports leave out. About 5,500 is the gross figure — everyone State Farm expects to bring into Claims during 2027. About 3,000 is the net figure, the growth left once departures are replaced.
The gap of roughly 2,500 is attrition: people who resign, retire or move to other parts of the business. For anyone reading the announcement as a jobs number, 5,500 is the number of vacancies expected to be advertised, and 3,000 is the increase in the size of the department.
The Reasons the Company Gave
State Farm attributed the expansion to three things: its own growth, the rising complexity of claims work, and severe weather. On complexity, the release pointed to new vehicles and technology and to changing repair methods — a reference to the sensors, cameras and driver-assistance hardware now built into bumpers and windscreens, which make a routine collision repair slower and more expensive to assess than it was a decade ago.
The scale of the operation explains why a 10% change is a large number. State Farm handles close to 11 million claims a year, more than 30,000 a day, and serves about 96 million policies through more than 19,200 agent offices, with over 62,000 employees in total.
Severe Weather, Measured Against 2026
The severe-weather reason deserves a number rather than an adjective. Catastrophe losses in the United States ran below trend in the first half of 2026, not above it.
Gallagher Re put insured losses from United States severe convective storms — the industry term for thunderstorm, hail and tornado events — above $22 billion as at 18 June 2026. That is a fall from each of 2023, 2024 and 2025, when annual losses from those storms exceeded $50 billion. It was still the eleventh consecutive year above $20 billion, and the April outbreak alone cost more than $5 billion.
So the baseline is high and persistent rather than rising in 2026 specifically. A single insurer’s claim volumes also depend on where it writes business, which is why a company-level trend need not match the national one.
A Growing Claims Team in a Shrinking Occupation
The clearest way to read this announcement is against the market it sits in, because the rest of the sector has been moving the other way.
- Employment in claims adjusting: down about 21% year on year through May 2026, on government data reported by Insurance Business, against about 2.5% across insurance carriers generally.
- Jobs lost: about 13,100 claims adjuster roles over that year, according to trade reporting on the same data.
- Entry-level postings: down roughly 50% since early 2024, compared with about 15% for entry-level roles across all sectors.
- Senior postings: still around 80% above 2017 levels.
- Official projection: the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics expects employment of claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners and investigators to fall 6% between 2025 and 2035, with about 21,600 openings a year from turnover.
State Farm did not describe its plan as a response to that trend, and its release does not say what share of claims work its technology now handles. What the figures show is one large carrier adding staff while the occupation as a whole contracts.
Where the Jobs Are, and What Was Not Said
As of Sunday 27 September 2026, State Farm has published no breakdown of the 3,000 roles by state or city. The roles are described as hybrid, combining office and remote work. Individual postings visible at the time of the announcement included Bloomington, Illinois, where the company is headquartered, and Tempe, Arizona. State Farm declined an interview request from public radio station WGLT, which reported that the split between Bloomington and the rest of the country was unclear.
Also unstated: pay ranges, the mix of auto and property roles, licensing requirements by state, and whether the additional staff are expected to change how long a claim takes to settle. Claim handling timescales are set by state regulation and by the facts of each claim, so they vary.
The Claims-Handling Scrutiny in the Background
State Farm’s claims practices are the subject of active litigation in California. On 31 August 2026, Los Angeles County filed suit against State Farm in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging violations of California’s Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Law in the handling of claims from the January 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires.
The county alleges unreasonable delays in investigating claims, systematic underpayment, repeated reassignment of adjusters, obstacles to reaching an adjuster and improper handling of smoke damage claims, and it seeks restitution, injunctive relief and civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation. Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath said families who lost homes in the two fires “deserve fair and timely treatment — not delays, denials, or underpayments”. County Counsel Dawyn R. Harrison said the county was committed to holding State Farm accountable.
These are allegations in a pleading. No court has ruled on them, State Farm General has said it strongly disagrees with the characterisation and will respond through the legal process, and the company has not linked the hiring plan to the case. Separately, State Farm has capped new California home policies at 7,500 a month, and state rules on claim protections after wildfires continue to change, as in Washington’s expiring wildfire insurance protections.
What the Insurer Can Afford
The hiring comes off State Farm’s strongest year. The mutual insurer reported 2025 net income of $12.9 billion on total revenue of $132.3 billion, against $5.3 billion of net income in 2024, and ended the year with net worth of $170.0 billion. Homeowners and commercial lines still recorded a $3.1 billion underwriting loss on $39.2 billion of earned premium, narrowing from $3.6 billion, with the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires the main cause.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many State Farm Claims Jobs Are Being Added?
About 3,000 net additions during 2027, a roughly 10% increase on a claims workforce of about 30,000 in the United States. State Farm expects to hire about 5,500 people into Claims in total over the year.
When Does the Hiring Start?
State Farm said on 25 September 2026 that hiring was already under way, with the additions spread throughout 2027.
Which States or Cities Will Get the Jobs?
The company has not published a breakdown. Postings at the time of the announcement included Bloomington, Illinois and Tempe, Arizona, and the roles are described as hybrid.
Is State Farm Replacing Claims Staff With AI?
The announcement describes a “Human + Digital” approach and does not quantify what share of claims work is automated. Across the wider occupation, United States employment in claims adjusting fell about 21% in the year to May 2026.
Does More Staff Mean Faster Claim Settlements?
State Farm has not said so. Claim timescales depend on state regulation and the circumstances of each claim, and the company published no service-time commitment alongside the hiring plan.
