Oregon comp costs likely to drop for ninth straight year

Oregon employers on average in 2022 would see their workers compensation coverage costs decline for the 9th consecutive year, the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services announced Wednesday.

The department said downward trends in lost-time claim frequency, trends in claim severity and medical costs, various programs to control costs, and improvements to workplace safety and health are among the reasons for the continuing decline in average pure premium rates — 5.8%  proposed in 2022 and 51% overall since 2013.

According to a proposal, employers on average will pay 97 cents per $100 of payroll for workers comp costs in 2022, down from $1.02 in 2021. The pure premium rate would drop by an average 5.8% under the proposal.