Achmea Axing 4000 Jobs

Dutch largest cooperative insurer Achmea announced Wednesday that it has decided to cut 4,000 jobs over the next three years. Achmea Holding Logo According to the company, the job cuts, equivalent to about one fifth of its workforce, are necessary because more and more of its customers are using online services for their insurance requirements, Reuters reports. "Our 8 million customers are doing more and more online and also want to able to arrange their insurance in that way," Achmea Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Willem van Duin said in a statement. "That's why we're accelerating our adjustments and we're investing more in our customer focus and online customer services." Dutch insurance brands including Centraal Beheer Achmea, Interpolis and Avéro Achmea are owned by Achmea, the parent company. In efforts to reduce operational costs, several Dutch in the financial services sector, including ING and ABN Amro, have slashed thousands of jobs, according to Reuters.