Employment Policy

Washington’s workers’ compensation benefit costs are still the highest in the country

According to the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI), Washington’s workers’ compensation benefit costs per covered worker are still the nation’s highest. Benefit costs in Washington were $849.67 per covered worker in 2021 (up from $824.53 in 2020). The second highest was $772.41 per covered worker in Wyoming. As a share of covered wages, benefit […]

Average workers’ compensation rates could increase by 4.9% in 2024

The Department of Labor & Industries is proposing a 4.9% increase in average workers’ compensation rates for next year. That would be the largest increase since 2011 (displacing this year’s increase of 4.8%). According to L&I, rates would increase for 283 of 325 risk classes. L&I notes, “In part, the rate increase is needed because […]

Washington’s workers’ compensation benefit costs (the nation’s highest) are increasingly driven by supplemental pension fund COLAs

According to the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI), Washington once again had the nation’s highest workers’ compensation benefit costs per covered worker in 2020. They were $824.53 in 2020 (up from $777.91 in 2019); the second-highest benefit costs per covered worker were $804.30 in Wyoming. (There is a two-year data lag.) As a percent […]

Average workers’ compensation rates could increase by 4.8% next year (the largest increase since 2011)

The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has proposed increasing average workers’ compensation rates by 4.8% for 2023. This would be the largest increase since 2011, and the fifth-highest increase going back to 1999. Under this proposal, base rates would increase for 286 risk classes (out of 325). According to L&I, wage inflation is a […]

Washington continues to have the nation’s highest workers’ compensation benefit costs

The National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) reports that workers’ compensation benefit costs per covered worker in Washington were $777.33 in 2019 (up from $769.52 in 2018). This is the highest in the country; the second highest was California, with $713.52 benefits per covered worker. Washington’s workers’ compensation benefit costs are also high as a […]

Average workers’ compensation rates could go up 3.1% next year—the largest increase since 2011

Today the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) proposed increasing average workers’ compensation rates by 3.1% for 2022. According to L&I, base rates will increase for 230 of the state’s 325 risk classes (here are the proposed rates by risk class). If the rate increase is adopted later this year, it will be the first […]

For the 10th year running, Washington has nation’s highest workers’ comp benefit costs (and supplemental pension benefits are increasingly a factor)

The National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) has released its annual report on workers’ compensation benefits. The report covers data from 2017, and it shows that Washington’s benefit costs per covered worker were $766.59—the highest in the country. (Alaska came in second at $736.55.) When you consider benefit costs as a percent of covered wages, […]

Workers’ compensation rates could drop again

Yesterday the Department of Labor and Industries proposed reducing average workers’ compensation premiums for 2020 by 0.8 percent. If adopted, the average rate decrease will be the third decrease in a row. (From 2008 through 2017, the average rate increased each year.) According to L&I, The price drop would result in employers paying an average […]

Washington still has the nation’s highest workers’ comp benefit costs (and there’s a new Oregon study)

Today the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) released its annual report on workers’ compensation benefits. Also today, the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services released its biennial study of workers’ compensation premium rates across states. The NASI report shows that for 2016, Washington had the nation’s highest benefit costs per covered worker, at […]

Workers’ comp rates may decrease 5 percent in 2019

The Department of Labor & Industries has proposed that average workers’ compensation rates decrease 5 percent next year. According to L&I, this means that premiums paid would drop by a total of $136 million. L&I says, “employers and workers focusing on safety, and L&I initiatives that are helping injured workers recover sooner and reducing workers’ compensation […]