L & I rates
L&I just announced their average proposed rate change for the 2020 rates will be a 0.8% decrease. If adopted, this will be the third year in a row the average rate has decreased. While L&I’s announcement of rate changes has been good, and sometimes great for the statewide average, the rate change was generally worse for city and county budgets. 2020 is no different.

Base rates by worker type
	2020 % change from 2019	3-year cumulative change
City public works & parks	3%	-5%
County streets & parks	-1%	3%
City/County law enforcement	11%	23%
Firefighters	4%	13%

The 2020 rate change for police and sheriffs is the first double digit increase in more than a decade. AWC will reach out to L&I to get more information about the law enforcement injury data that drove this need for a double-digit increase and see if there are ways we can work with the Department to reduce increases in the future.

Employers in Washington are individually rated and pay workers' comp insurance base on their claim history. Individual rates should be arriving soon from L&I. Once received, Retro staff will upload your rates and individual factors into RiskConsole. To learn how claim costs affect your rates, contact a Retro staff member at retro@awcnet.org.