Pure premium rate to drop 6.6 percent in 2017

The basic rate that Oregon employers pay for workers' comp insurance (called the "pure premium rate") will drop by 6.6 percent in 2017, the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) has announced.

The rate has decreased or stayed the same in 24 of the 26 years since the Oregon workers' comp reforms of 1990. DCBS estimates that Oregon employers have saved more than $20 billion as a result.

DCBS also announced that the cents-per-hour assessment for the Workers' Benefit Fund will drop from 3.3 cents per hour worked to 2.8 cents. The premium assessment will increase from 6.2 to 6.8 percent, based on premium paid.

For more, read the DCBS news release.