Tumwater, WA – The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries on Sept. 20 proposed a 2.5 percent increase for the 2012 workers’ compensation rate, the lowest increase in five years.
By comparison, L&I adopted a 12 percent rate increase in 2011, 7.6 percent increase in 2010 and 3.1 percent increase in 2009. L&I said it is able to avoid a higher rate increase because of recent reforms estimated to save $1.1 billion over the next four years. The proposed rate increase is an average, and rates for individual employers may go up or down depending on their history.
Public hearings for the proposed rate are scheduled for the following dates:
- Oct. 25 in Vancouver
- Oct. 26 in Tukwila
- Oct. 26 in Bellingham
- Oct. 27 in Richland
- Oct. 28 in Spokane
- Oct. 28 in Tumwater
