Total Comp Premium Up for First Time in Five Years

Total workers' compensation premium increased for the first time in California in five years, the California Workers' Compensation Institute reported Tuesday.Summarizing data supplied by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), CWCI said total direct written premium increased 3.1% to $7.1 billion in 2010. That broke a five-year downward trend that started in 2004, when total premium volume reached a peak of $16.1 billion.CWCI said high unemployment, payroll reductions and job shifts caused by the recession, declining claims frequency and a soft market held down total...