Jackson National Life not relocating to Music City

Jackson National Life Insurance Co. today said it will open a regional headquarters just outside of Nashville, Tenn. — quashing rumors that the company was about to move its corporate headquarters. The carrier announced that it will add 400 employees to an operation in Franklin, Tenn. The new hires will cover a range of positions, including information technology, human resources and distribution. Jackson will also add another 50 to 100 employees to its home base in Lansing, Mich. Those workers will help the company bulk up its back-office and business-processing functions, said spokesman Andrew Silver. The insurer expects to attract new talent from around Music City’s outskirts, pooling prospective hires from a wealth of colleges and universities in the area. “The percentage of folks out there with a four-year degree is higher than the national average, and two of the major industries there are insurance and finance,” Mr. Silver said. “It’s a good pool of job candidates.” The carrier’s announcement today followed news reports in local papers in both Michigan and Tennessee claiming that Jackson would move its entire headquarters to the Nashville area.