Description
The annual Workers’ Compensation Fiscal Data Research Bulletin showing state workers’ compensation system payments and costs from 2004 to 2013 is now available.
The bulletin shows the continued slow expansion of the economy after the great recession as the number of covered workers increased from 125.1 million in 2012 to 126.8 million for 2013.
Indemnity benefits increased from 2012 to 2013 by 2.0%, and medical benefits increased by 0.2%. The overall national benefit cost rate moved down from 0.97 to 0.96.
States had significantly different costs per employee, with the following highest and lowest benefit costs per employee in 2013. Note: the benefit cost per covered employee is not a specific measure of costs to employers for comparable work across states and does not account for differences in industrial composition of a state work force.
Highest
Washington ($827)
Alaska ($808)
California ($799)
Wyoming ($705)
West Virginia ($669)
New York ($648)
Oklahoma ($613)
Lowest
Arkansas ($189)
DC ($196)
Texas ($205)
Utah ($232)
Indiana ($241)
South Dakota ($242)
Virginia ($287)
States with the greatest increases from 2012 to 2013 in average benefit cost rate were
North Dakota (18.1%)
Wyoming (16.2%)
DC (13.0%)
Delaware (8.8%)
South Dakota (4.8%)
States with the greatest decreases from 2012 to 2013 in average benefit cost rate were
Kansas (-12.2%)
New Mexico (-12.1%)
Rhode Island (-9.4%)
Oklahoma (-8.7%)
New Hampshire (-7.7%)
