L&I Proposes Rate Increase

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries is proposing to increase the average hourly rate employers and workers pay for workers' compensation coverage by 4.9%. The department is recommending an average rate of $1.37 per full-time employee. The increase is less than what the department said it would need to cover 2026 claim costs, but it plans to use its contingency reserve to cover the difference. "By maintaining a healthy contingency reserve through consistent, careful management of the premiums paid by workers and employers, L&I can cover some of the costs inst...