IT talent shortage spurs Unum to open Irish unit
By Mike Pare Deputy Business Editor
Online: Hear Unum CEO Thomas R. Watjen talk about the insurer’s business. Citing a shortage of information technology graduates in the United States, Unum Group plans to open a software and IT office in Ireland to support its domestic operations. The office in Carlow, Ireland, outside Dublin, eventually plans to employ 200 people, said Unum spokeswoman Mary Clarke Guenther. “It’s part of an expansion effort for Unum US to support our technology needs,” she said. “It’s running in tandem with hiring efforts in the States.” Mrs. Guenther said the Chattanooga-based insurer last year added 24 IT workers in the city and 53 across the U.S. But, there’s a declining number of IT grads in the U.S. while Ireland has invested heavily in its technical schools and graduates a lot of IT workers, Mrs. Guenther said. In addition, three of 10 Unum software and IT professionals are over age 50, she said.
“We’re mindful of bringing in new talent that can support us as the work force retires,” Mrs. Guenther said about the company that has almost 3,000 workers in Chattanooga. Unum US, a subsidiary that includes the insurer’s key group disability business, has improved its performance in recent quarters. Unum Group Chief Executive Officer Thomas R. Watjen told analysts recently the group disability case count increased in 2007 as it did in the group life insurance segment. “We closed the year with a strong performance in Unum US,” he said. “There’s continued improvement in the group disability line of the business.” Unum has had no operations in Ireland, though it has a fairly strong presence in England. Mrs. Guenther said the company plans to hire about 50 people at the end of the year, another 50 by the close of 2009 and 100 more workers later to staff the Irish office. Unum will likely set up temporary office space until it decides on building, she said. Unum has about 800 IT professionals in the U.S. and almost 400 in Chattanooga, Mrs. Guenther said. E-mail Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com