2027 workers' compensation rates are falling in some states and rising in others. New Hampshire approved a 2.9% cut in voluntary loss costs and Wyoming proposed a 2.0% cut in employer base rates. Oregon proposed a 2.1% increase in pure premium rates and Washington proposed a 4.9% increase in its average hourly rate. All four take effect January 1, 2027.
For the last several filing seasons the story has been easy to summarize: rates down again. That summary no longer holds, and the states moving up are moving up for reasons that have nothing to do with claims getting worse.
Which states have filed 2027 workers' compensation rates?
| State | 2027 change | Status as of late September | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | −2.9% voluntary loss costs, −3.4% assigned risk | Approved | Payroll |
| Wyoming | −2.0% overall industry base rates | Proposed | Payroll |
| Oregon | +2.1% pure premium, 89¢ to 92¢ per $100 | Proposed | Payroll |
| Washington | +4.9% average hourly rate | Proposed | Hours worked |
New Hampshire's is the one already decided. The Insurance Department approved NCCI's filing in September 2026, making it the fifteenth consecutive year of declining voluntary loss costs in the state. Over those fifteen years voluntary loss costs have fallen roughly 68%. The prior year's approval was larger still, at 6.1%.
The other three were open proceedings. Wyoming's comment deadline runs to October 9, 2026, with a hearing on October 14 in Cheyenne. Washington scheduled hearings for October 27, 28, and 29, written comments to 5 p.m. on October 29, and final adoption November 30.
Why two states cut while two raised
Oregon's increase traces to a specific piece of legislation. The Department of Consumer and Business Services attributed it primarily to benefits for injured workers being increased through Senate Bill 1519 (2026), which restructured temporary disability compensation to support lower-wage earners. Alongside the pure premium change, Oregon's premium assessment stays at 9.8% for a sixth year, the Workers' Benefit Fund assessment rises to 2.2 cents per hour worked, and a new BOLI Expenses Fund component adds 0.2 cents, bringing the combined hourly assessment to 2.4 cents.
Washington's increase is mechanical. The state charges premium on hours worked rather than on payroll, so when wages climb the money collected per hour does not climb with them. Director Joel Sacks put it plainly: "The cost of providing workers' compensation coverage continues to go up as wages and medical costs increase." The proposed 4.9% works out to about $1.44 per week for a full-time employee, of which employers pay roughly three quarters and workers the rest. Sacks also credited the contingency reserve with "keeping the workers' compensation system financially stable while protecting employers and workers from big, sudden rate spikes."
So one increase is a benefit expansion and one is a wage-indexing correction. Neither is a deterioration in loss experience.
The rate is only half of what you pay
This is where the filing season matters at audit. A rate is a price per unit of exposure. The number of units is set by your payroll, and payroll is not known until the audit.
Wage growth is doing something specific to that arithmetic right now. In a payroll state, a 4% raise across your workforce raises audited payroll 4% and raises premium with it, even if the loss cost attached to your classes fell 2.9%. A cut in the published rate per $100 and an increase in your final bill are not contradictory. They happen together routinely.
Washington is the exception that proves the point. Because its exposure base is hours rather than dollars, wage growth does not inflate its premium automatically, which is exactly why the state has to raise the hourly rate by hand to keep up.
The statewide number will not be your number
Wyoming's own notice is unusually blunt about this. The overall proposal is a 2.0% decrease, but individual industry base rate classifications could rise as much as 12.5% or fall as much as 16.7% against 2026 levels. A 2.0% average covers a spread of nearly thirty points. Wyoming also notes that an individual employer's rate moves further still based on experience rating, safety programs, drug testing participation, health consultations, or deductible programs.
The same pattern showed up in New York's loss cost revision effective October 1, where a large statewide decrease contained classes that rose. Nothing about a headline average tells you which side of it your payroll sits on.
What to do before the renewal quote arrives
Pull the classification breakdown off your current policy and check each code against the filed values for your state rather than the summary in the press release. If you are in Oregon or Washington, the assessment lines are separate from the rate and move on their own schedule, so read them separately. If you operate in more than one state, expect the 2027 filings to pull in opposite directions across your footprint for the first time in years.
Then look at your payroll estimate. A carrier that sets estimated payroll from last year's audit in a year of wage growth is setting it low, and the gap surfaces as an audit bill twelve months later. Running your own numbers against the audit premium estimator before renewal is cheaper than being surprised by them afterward.
Wyoming's hearing is October 14. Washington's comment window closes October 29. Both are still open.
Frequently asked questions
Are workers compensation rates going up or down in 2027?
Both, depending on the state. New Hampshire approved a 2.9% cut in voluntary loss costs and Wyoming proposed a 2.0% cut in industry base rates. Oregon proposed a 2.1% increase in pure premium rates and Washington proposed a 4.9% increase in its average hourly rate.
When do 2027 workers compensation rates take effect?
January 1, 2027 in all four states. New Hampshire's is approved and applies to policies effective on or after that date. Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming were still proposals as of late September 2026, with hearings and comment deadlines running through October.
Does a statewide rate decrease mean my premium goes down?
Not on its own. A statewide figure is an average across every classification, and individual classes move much further. Wyoming's proposal alone covers a range from a 12.5% increase to a 16.7% decrease. Your premium is the rate for your classes multiplied by your audited payroll.
My state cut its rates, so why did my premium go up?
Most likely wage growth. In a payroll state a 4% raise across your workforce raises audited payroll 4% and raises premium with it, even if the loss cost attached to your classes fell 2.9%. A cut in the published rate and an increase in your final bill are not contradictory and happen together routinely.
Why is Washington's workers compensation rate quoted per hour instead of per $100 of payroll?
Washington charges premium on hours worked rather than payroll. Because the amount collected per hour is fixed, rising wages do not raise premium automatically the way they do in a payroll state, so the state adjusts the hourly rate instead.
