By the numbers
2,300: Total number of employees at Assurant in Springfield, making it the largest employer in Clark County.
120: Number of positions being eliminated in Springfield and Dayton this week.
232: Number of positions eliminated since fall of last year.
Assurant will eliminate 120 more jobs in Springfield and Dayton, a company spokesman confirmed Thursday.
The business, which provides customer service and support for clients of Assurant Specialty Property, is eliminating 87 jobs from its Springfield office and 33 jobs from its Dayton site.
Assurant is the largest employer in Springfield with about 2,300 employees. The company recently cut 75 jobs last fall and 37 in January.
“We regularly assess staffing needs, and our business and our Ohio staff have grown significantly in recent years,” said Robert Byrd, a company spokesman. “However, as we now see lower volumes of work in some areas, we have notified employees in Springfield/Dayton that staff positions are being reduced.”
More than 50 Assurant field staff employees in other states were also eliminated, he said.
The Springfield jobs are insurance services positions, Byrd said. Employees will remain on the payroll through April 15, and they will receive severance pay and career transition assistance, he added.
“We appreciate their valued service, and we are committed to providing them with support during this transition,” Byrd said.
Staff from OhioMeansJobs of Clark County will reach out to the company this week, said Deputy Director Lehan Peters. They’ll also reach out to other counties to coordinate services for the affected employees, she said.
OhioMeansJobs also performed similar services for Assurant in February, Peters said, including a 30-minute presentation about filing unemployment claims.
“That’s where people usually have the most questions,” Peters said.
The agency will also request about $100,000 in state funding from the Workforce Investment Board to help with education and training for the affected employees. Late last year, they received $50,000 to help other employees find jobs.
“Displaced workers are a priority,” Peters said. “The sooner that we can get them into employment, it saves the employer money. We also don’t want to lose these individuals from the area.”
OhioMeansJobs will also work with local businesses and the Chamber of Greater Springfield to quickly find other opportunities for the displaced employees.
“Anytime there’s a layoff, we want to make sure we have action,” said Amy Donahoe, Director of Hiring Services for the Chamber. “It’s not something we like to see, but obviously business decisions have to be made. We’ll do our best to make sure these individuals get connected with resources.”
Employees from Assurant typically have skills that can be utilized at other local businesses, such as Code Blue, Speedway and Red Roof Inn, Peters said. Earlier this year, the agency held a job fair with those companies for employees who had previously worked at Assurant. They had about 70 people in attendance, she said, but they haven’t received numbers on how many were hired.
“The employers were thrilled to have one-on-one conversations with these individuals,” Peters said.
Assurant reported less income both in its fourth quarter and overall in 2014, as well as at its Specialty Property Division, which has offices in Springfield and Dayton. The New York-based company reported net operating income of $439 million in 2014, down about 6 percent from a year earlier.
Assurant opened its $20 million, 26-acre facility at 1 Assurant Way in Springfield in 2002. The company opened its Dayton office at 4646 Needmore Road in 2013.
Staff writer Matt Sanctis contributed to this report
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