State Farm

Insurance industry employment rose 1.83% last year, slightly under the projected number, but could have risen a lot more. The insurance sector is still not back to pre-pandemic employment levels.

State Farm will be laying off 451 employees in Bloomington next month, part of the insurer's IT outsourcing plan, the company told state officials. Many of the employees will be offered jobs at the company taking over that IT work, called HCLTech.

This weekend’s new episode of “Saturday Night Live” featured a faux commercial sketch spoofing Jake from State Farm, the friendly character who personifies the Bloomington-based insurer’s “Good Neighbor” sales pitch.

History connects people through time. And learning how the past links to the present is basic to understanding the human condition. In our series on transplants to the Twin Cities, WGLT has found history matters to several people who have moved to central Illinois.

An executive with HCLTech, the company State Farm has hired to outsource its IT operations, says it promotes an “employees first” culture and is taking steps to make Bloomington workers as comfortable as possible as they transition to their new employer.

State Farm plans to outsource some of its IT operations to an Indian IT services company, the companies announced Thursday.

Last summer, Fitch Ratings projected Geico and Progressive would overtake State Farm in auto insurance premium volume in 2023.

A Black Illinois homeowner claims State Farm practices covert racial discrimination in how it processes claims. “State Farm does not treat its Black and white homeowners insurance policyholders equally,” states a federal lawsuit filed by Jacqueline Huskey of Matteson in south suburban Chicago.

In a surprising move that has implications for not-for-profit organizations in central Illinois, State Farm is cutting back on its charitable giving in at least one area. The company website notes retirees will no longer be eligible for the company's charitable matching gift program, effective with the new year.

State Farm and Rivian are both contracting with clean energy providers to reduce their carbon footprints. State Farm said it's buying enough zero emission renewable energy to power its buildings in Bloomington.