Jobs cut at Allstate in Roanoke Co. moving overseas

Local cuts are related to the shift outside the U.S.

Profit

Allstate has said its profit for the year ended Dec. 31 was $2.31 billion, up from the $787 million net income reported for the 12-month period ended 2011.

Jeff Sturgeon | 981-3251

Friday, July 5, 2013

Job cuts at Allstate Corp. in Roanoke County are due in part to the company shifting work to foreign countries, a company spokesman said.

“A couple of positions from Roanoke have been relocated to our overseas sites,” Allstate spokesman Adam Polak said in the wake of three limited layoffs in recent months at the company’s office on Electric Road.

The Electric Road Allstate facility, a 147,177-square-foot office complex, employed more than 900 people in April, he said.

It handles various back office functions including policy processing support and technical support for employees and agents, Polak has said.

Polak has declined to say how many employees lost jobs there in layoffs that he previously confirmed in late June, late May and early April, except to signal that the number was small. He did not respond to requests for information about the overseas sites.

Job elimination may be part of an announced company strategy to trim expenses, increase efficiency and better meet customer needs. One area receiving significant change is the technology function, which is undergoing “centralization, global sourcing, automation” and other changes, according to a quarterly financial report filed May 1.

In December, Allstate announced the opening of a new office in Bangalore, India, to provide technology support and services to the company. Allstate also has 15-year-old operations in Northern Ireland, according to its website.

Monday, August 12, 2013