Golden State Remains Nation's Leader in Benefit Payments

California retains the nation’s largest workers’ compensation system, with some 17.8 million covered jobs and $1.55 trillion in covered payroll in 2023, according to a California Workers’ Compensation Institute review of new data from the National Academy of Social Insurance. Comp programs in the state paid an estimated $13.88 billion in benefits in 2023, an increase of $916 million, or 7.1%, from 2022. California’s $13.88 billion in benefit payments surpassed the combined total for New York, Florida and Washington, which ranked second, third, and fourt...