National –
National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) released its monthly Labor Market Insights Report and its State of the Line Report:
- Labor Market Insights Report provides an overview of key labor market statistics and their potential impact on workers' compensation. The report found job growth slowed significantly in September 2026, with payrolls increasing by just 29,000 jobs and prior months' gains revised downward. Employment growth was largely stagnant across industries, while wage growth continued to moderate, reflecting a cooling labor market. Labor force participation increased, but hiring and worker mobility remained subdued. According to NCCI, the September data suggests the labor market remains in the same sluggish environment that has persisted throughout much of 2025 and 2026.
- State of the Line Report found the workers' compensation market remains strong despite signs of continued moderation. Private carrier net written premium was essentially flat at $41.6 billion in 2025, while the industry posted a 90.6% combined ratio, marking the 12th consecutive year of underwriting profitability. National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) also reported that claim frequency declined 2%, while indemnity and medical claim severity both increased 4% in 2025. Looking ahead, preliminary 2026 results suggest workers' compensation will remain profitable, with stable premium volume and a combined ratio expected to stay below 100%.
Safety National announced a complimentary webinar, Navigating a Crisis Event from Readiness to Recovery, focused on how organizations can prepare for, respond to, and recover from workplace crisis events. The session will cover preventative risk control strategies, emergency response planning, complex claims management, and coordination among employers, carriers, TPAs, brokers, and other stakeholders. Safety National emphasized proactive planning, rapid reporting, and specialized claims resources can improve both employee outcomes and financial results following a crisis. The webinar is scheduled for October 27, 2026. Registration is free but required.
Registration is now open for the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) 2027 Conference, taking place March 11-12, 2027, in Boston, Massachusetts. The conference will be held at The Westin Boston Seaport District. Early-bird registration is available through February 11, with rates of $650 for members and $975 for non-members.
Oregon – The Oregon Workers’ Compensation Division increased the Workers’ Benefit Fund assessment rate to 2.2 cents per hour worked for 2027, up from 1.8 cents in 2026. The fund helps finance cost-of-living adjustments for workers with permanent total disabilities and supports return-to-work programs designed to help injured employees reenter the workforce. This increase is intended to ensure the long-term sustainability of these important worker benefit programs.
Texas – Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (TDI-DWC) announced it will relaunch its statewide Brown Bag Series this fall, providing workers’ compensation stakeholders with an opportunity to engage directly with the agency’s Hearings leadership team. The series is intended to share updates on dispute resolution operations, highlight ongoing improvements within the Hearings division, and promote open dialogue between TDI-DWC and system participants. Discussion topics may include the Hearings division’s new leadership structure, expanded remote interpreter services, earlier hearing scheduling opportunities for continued cases, and the use of virtual contested case hearings. The sessions will also provide attendees with an opportunity to offer feedback on what is working well and identify areas where the dispute resolution process could be improved. Brown Bag Series events will be held at multiple field offices across Texas and virtually throughout October 2026.
Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (TDI-DWC) released its 2026 Insurance Carrier Performance Based Oversight (PBO) Results, which evaluate insurance carrier compliance with Texas workers’ compensation requirements under Texas Labor Code §402.075 and 28 Texas Administrative Code §180.19. The 2026 assessment measured carrier performance in four areas: timely payment of initial temporary income benefits, timely reporting of initial payment data to DWC, timely processing of medical bill reconsideration requests, and timely reporting of medical data to DWC. TDI-DWC reviewed 124 insurance carriers as part of the assessment. Of those carriers, 50 were designated as high performers, 72 were classified as average performers, and 2 were classified as poor performers. The assessment results and a tiered list of reviewed carriers have been published on the Texas Department of Insurance website. TDI-DWC indicated health care providers will be assessed separately in 2027. To learn more, check out this WorkCompWire article.
Stay connected to all relevant information in workers' compensation and pharmacy by subscribing to our weekly newsletter. For the previous wrap-up, please click here.