Last week, a report by Citi stated that US and European banks were set to shed 1.7m jobs as a result of increasing automation of its operations.
According to McKinsey & Co., automation is also likely to lead to job losses at European insurers, where they expect 250 thousand jobs to be eliminated over the next decade.
The rush is on to replace people with software in Europe’s insurance industry as cost cutting and automation become increasingly crucial to bolstering earnings. Zurich Insurance Group AG is accelerating its cost reduction program, targeting savings of at least $1 billion by the end of 2018 with changes that will affect about 8,000 jobs. Talanx AG is spending 300 million euros ($341 million) to upgrade technology at its German unit over the next four years after outmoded systems left frustrated customers with expired car registrations. Allianz SE’s modernization includes plans to allow customers to file small auto claims using pictures from their smartphones.
