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Green Bay area gaining 1,000 call center jobs: UnitedHealth plans expansion, adding to its 1,500 workers
(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Jun. 29--UnitedHealth Group plans to ring up its staffing numbers in the Green Bay area with the addition of 1,000 jobs at an expanded call center.
The $45 billion insurer already has added about 300 of the positions, with more to follow as it converts the headquarters building of the former American Medical Security Inc. into a state-of-the-art call center. Minneapolis-based UnitedHealth acquired the American Medical Security building last year as part of its $8.1 billion buyout of PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. PacifiCare bought American Medical Security in 2004.
The "vast majority" of the new jobs -- to be added through 2007 -- would be customer service representatives with full benefits and starting pay at about $23,000 a year (or $11 an hour) depending on education and experience, said Greg Thompson, a spokesman for UnitedHealth.
Other positions included in the expansion would be claims adjusters, information technology and IT support. The company already employs about 1,500 in the Green Bay area, Thompson said.
He said he didn't know how much UnitedHealth is investing in the call center, but Thompson said it would become one of the company's largest, and it's in Green Bay largely because of the work force.
"In Green Bay, there is a solid pool of potential customer service candidates, and they have experience," Thompson said. "We've also found that there's a pretty loyal work force in Wisconsin, which I think is key."
Thompson said UnitedHealth provides 16 to 24 weeks of training. The call center is intended to supply service support for policy holders with Medicare Part D plans or employer-sponsored health insurance.
Paul Linzmeyer, chairman of the Wisconsin Council on Workforce Investment, said UnitedHealth's plans bolster the insurance industry cluster around Green Bay.
"This is good for northeast Wisconsin," said Linzmeyer, who is president of Bay Towel, a linen and uniform rental service based in Green Bay. "It seems like the jobs fit with this whole insurance industry corridor we've got going on here."
Occupational estimates from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics show the Green Bay metropolitan area with 3,400 customer service representatives in May 2005, earning an hourly wage of $13.86 on average. Wisconsin had 43,920 customer service representatives with an average pay of $14.55 an hour.
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