Workers’ Comp Program Most Costly In Los Angeles, California

The WCIRB expands its research on regional differences in California workers’ compensation claim costs and frequency with the release of its second report, the 2016 Study of Geographic Differences in California Workers’ Compensation Claim Costs. The Study, which controls for wage level differences and industrial mix, includes nine new maps illustrating regional differences. Earlier this month the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) announced the results of its bi-annual nationwide study of the costs of workers’ compensation programs for 2016. According to that study, California once again is the worst state in the union in terms of costs. It ranks at 176% of the study median. It is a good distance away from the second highest state, New Jersey, which ranks 158% of the study median. Rounding off the worst five, third worst is New York at 154%, Connecticut is the fourth worst at at 149%, and fifth is Alaska also at 149%.