Washington again has the nation’s highest workers’ compensation benefit costs
According to a new report from the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI), workers’ compensation benefit costs per covered worker in Washington were $769.52 in 2018. That is the highest in the country; Alaska came in second with $739.49. Benefit costs per covered worker in Washington had been declining since 2010, but in 2018 they […]
November 05 , 2020 - Emily Makings
Washington Supreme Court: Dairy worker exemption from state overtime law is unconstitutional
In a 5–4 opinion today, the state Supreme Court held that Washington’s overtime law applies to dairy workers. RCW 49.46.130 requires employers to pay overtime when an employee works more than 40 hours in a week. There are some exceptions, including for agricultural workers. Now, the Court has held that the agricultural exemption (RCW 49.46.130(2)(g)) […]
September 30 , 2020 - Emily Makings
In 2021, Washington’s minimum wage will increase to $13.69 and new overtime thresholds will be binding
The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has announced that the state minimum wage next year will be $13.69. It is currently $13.50—the highest state minimum wage in the country. 2020 is the last step of the phase-in of I-1433, so 2021 is the first year in which the minimum wage is adjusted by inflation. […]
September 22 , 2020 - Emily Makings
State and local taxes in Washington have increased over the past several years compared to other states
The U.S. Census Bureau has released state and local government finance data for 2018. In Washington, state and local taxes increased by 10.4 percent over 2017. This includes property taxes, sales and gross receipts taxes, and motor vehicle license taxes. (For other states, it also includes income taxes.) To compare Washington’s taxes to other states, […]
September 15 , 2020 - Emily Makings
Workers’ compensation rates may hold steady next year
The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has proposed that there be no average increase in workers’ compensation rates in 2021. The average rate declined in 2018, 2019, and 2020. According to L&I, “While financial projections point to the need for a significant increase to cover all of the costs for injuries and illnesses that […]
August 25 , 2020 - Kriss Sjoblom
Work sharing
Washington state is prominently featured in a Saturday New York Times article on “work sharing,” which is an unemployment insurance program that pays partial unemployment benefits to workers who have had their hours reduced. Work sharing programs are extraordinarily popular among economists, Republican and Democratic policymakers, employers and workers — at least those who have […]
August 14 , 2020 - Emily Makings
Gov. Inslee mandates paid leave for food production workers
Yesterday, Gov. Inslee issued a proclamation prohibiting “any food production employer from continuing to operate between August 18, 2020, and November 13, 2020, unless the food production employer . . . provides its workers . . . with emergency supplemental paid sick leave . . . for a qualifying event.” Washington’s regular paid sick leave […]
June 16 , 2020 - Emily Makings
Washington’s average wage was up 6.7 percent in 2019. This will affect several state programs.
The Employment Security Department (ESD) reports that Washington’s average annual wage increased to $69,000 in 2019. The average weekly wage increased from $1,255 in 2018 to $1,340 in 2019 (6.7 percent). Unemployment insurance (UI) taxes and benefits, workers’ compensation benefits, and paid family and medical leave benefits are all tied to the average weekly wage. […]
May 20 , 2020 - Kriss Sjoblom
Monthly Employment Report
The state Employment Security Department released its Monthly Employment Report for April this morning. According to preliminary estimates from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the state lost 527,000 jobs, net, seasonally adjusted (SA), from March to April. This estimate is based on BLS’s monthly survey of employers, which counts as employed all persons […]
May 14 , 2020 - Kriss Sjoblom
Fraudsters attack state unemployment insurance system
Employment Security Department Commissioner Suzi LeVine today reported that the state unemployment insurance system has suffered a rash of fraudulent claims” Since the start of May – and particularly in the past week – the Employment Security Department has seen a significant rise in reports of impostor fraud. This is where bad actors have stolen […]