Calif. comp levy decreases for 2006/2007

SAN FRANCISCO—Employers in California will be charged about $281 million by the state's Division of Workers Compensation to pay its costs for the 2006/2007 fiscal year, a 3.1% drop from the charge in the prior year, the DWC announced.

The levy on insured and self-insured employers is used to pay benefits to injured employees working for uninsured employers, to fight fraud and to pay benefits to workers already ailing when reporting an injury.

Employers across California will pay a total of $189.9 million into a Workers' Compensation Administration Revolving Fund Assessment, which is 2% less than employers paid in the 2005/2006 fiscal year.

Employers will pay another $33.8 million for an Uninsured Employers Benefit Trust Fund Assessment, down 23.2% from the prior year. They will also pay $17.9 million for a Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund Assessment, which is 22.6% more than last year.

Finally, employers will have to pay $39.5 million for a Workers' Compensation Fraud Account Assessment, up 4.8% from the prior year.For more information on how the DWC calculates the assessments for employers see www.dir.ca.gov/dwc/06UFund.pdf.