Liberty Mutual is laying off up to 360 technology workers, primarily in New Hampshire, as the insurance company aims to become faster at developing and introducing new products and services in a competitive market.

The Boston-based insurer told workers on Tuesday about the reductions, nearly 190 of which will be in New Hampshire. About 20 people will lose their jobs in Boston and Weston and the remaining layoffs will be elsewhere in the country, said John Cusolito, the companys spokesman.

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Among the positions being cut are business systems analysts, project managers, and quality assurance workers, he said.

Affected workers will be allowed to apply for other jobs within Liberty Mutual and for a 12- to 14-week coding program to expand their skills. Liberty officials were unsure how many workers affected by the cuts would eventually get other positions.

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Its never pleasant to affect people on a personal level like this, said James McGlennon, Liberty Mutuals chief information officer. We have no choice but to compete in the marketplace and get our products to the market more quickly.

The company has about 6,000 technology employees and plans to hire about 340 more this year. But the way they do their jobs is changing, he said.

Liberty Mutual has built smaller product teams in an effort to move faster, and workers need to have a broader range of skills, McGlennon said. For example, a software developer also needs to know how to test the product, he said.

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Liberty Mutual is moving away from the multi-year megaprojects, McGlennon said. No work will be outsourced as a result of the staffing cuts, company officials said.

Overall, Liberty Mutual is growing its workforce worldwide, Cusolito said. The company plans to hire about 5,000 workers this year and in five years expects to have added 25,000 workers, he said. Liberty Mutual currently has 1,600 open positions.

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Liberty Mutual layoffs technology workers in New Hampshire ... - The Boston Globe