Look No Further

In May and June, nearly 4 million Americans will graduate from high school. Another 2 million will earn a bachelor’s degree in college.

Many of the new graduates will soon be searching for their first job. If they’re looking for a way to make a significant difference in their communities, they should strongly consider a career in the insurance industry. 

Nearly 3 million people work in the U.S. insurance industry. This is up about 25% from 10 years ago. 

The insurance industry offers a wide variety of job opportunities across the nation. There are approximately 1.6 million people employed as home-office personnel, including 327,500 in life insurance. An additional 1.3 million work as agents, brokers, and service personnel across all lines of insurance. These positions are based in all 50 states and Washington D.C.

Life insurance agents have been serving their communities for generations, providing invaluable financial protection to families. In my state of Idaho, life insurers pay out $1.1 billion each year in life insurance and annuity benefits to Idaho families. That’s $3 million every day in funds to provide financial certainty in retirement or to help a family cope financially after the loss of a loved one. 

At the same time, life insurance companies have been there supporting Idaho’s communities, pumping billions of dollars into the state’s economy.

In fact, the life insurance industry generates 7,200 jobs and invests $28 billion in Idaho’s economy, including in commercial, residential and agricultural mortgages, stocks, bonds and more. For example:

• Agriculture: Life insurers have invested $920 million in agricultural loans in Boise, Blackfoot, Burley, Rexburg, Twin Falls, and more. These loans provide the funds for farmers to purchase land, buy and upgrade equipment and diversify production.
• Retail: From Meridian to Idaho Falls, life insurers have invested nearly $170 million in mortgages for retail businesses throughout the state.
• Infrastructure: Life insurers have invested more than $100 million supporting Idaho’s infrastructure, including more than $36 million for state highways. 

Life insurers make similar investments in all 50 states, providing $7.5 trillion in investment capital across the nation. 

New graduates will have many job opportunities to consider in the weeks ahead. If they’re looking for a career with an industry that provides financial certainty for families and supplies solid investment capital for communities, they should look no further than the insurance industry.