Shin Research

Shin Research is the International Insurance Society's flagship program for examining global insurance workforce trends, emerging skills, talent priorities, and hiring practices. Each annual report combines employment projections with survey findings from senior insurance executives and professionals.

2026 Report: Insurance Workforce Skills and Trends Shaping the Next Decade

The 2026 Shin Research report reveals a workforce in transition. While overall insurance employment is projected to grow modestly over the next decade, demand is shifting toward technology, analytics, cybersecurity, finance, and risk-related roles as automation reshapes traditional insurance functions.

• 86% of insurance professionals identified AI, automation, and machine learning as the trend expected to have the greatest impact on the industry over the next decade.
• Data scientist roles are projected to grow by more than 30% through 2034 across both insurance carriers and agencies, making them among the fastest-growing occupations in insurance.
• 90% of respondents rated critical thinking and problem solving as a highly important skill, with 64% saying they plan to invest in developing it over the next decade.
• 63% of respondents cited both cybersecurity threats and changing customer expectations as major trends shaping the future of insurance, second only to AI and automation.