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April 15, 2024
Colorado Worker Shows Head Injury Happened as a Consequence of a Knock on the Head at Work

April 4, 2024
Callfornia Division of Workers' Compensation Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee Meeting Scheduled for April 17, 2024

April 3, 2024
California Division of Workers' Compensation Posts Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule (DMEPOS)

April 2, 2024
California Division of Workers' Compensation Posts Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule for Pathology and Clinical Laboratory

A recent rise in first quarter 2001 compensation costs in the latest Employment Cost Index (ECI) was reported April 26 by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is good news for the nation’s Workers’ Compensation market.

A key component of the ECI is the combination of wages and salaries. Economists view this as the best measure of changes in workers' compensation—which increased by 1.1 % in the first quarter, following a 0.8 % rise. This is the largest gain since the second quarter of 2000, when the index also rose by 1.0 percent.

Americans' wages and benefits rose 4.1 % for the 12 months ending in March, a moderation from the 4.3 % rise posted for the same period a year ago.

As a result of large increases in health care insurance premiums in the first quarter, economists expected the 1.1 % rise in compensation. They predict employers will scale back compensation packages for workers as the economy slows and the increase in layoffs shape the labor market

This report offers hope for California—where premium as a percent of payroll has hovered in recent years around its lowest level in a decade.

The ECI is the broadest measure of labor costs and includes employee compensation costs, wages, and salaries as well as benefits.