2026 Proposed Workers Comp Rates See Average 6.9 Percent Decrease

August 19, 2025

Earlier today, the Florida Chamber of Commerce met with the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) to review a proposed 6.9 percent decrease for workers’ compensation insurance rate on new and renewal policies to take effect on January 1, 2026.

NCCI files a rate filing on behalf of the majority of Florida’s workers’ comp carriers, and if approved, this decrease will contribute to a cumulative reduction of 78 percent since the reforms the Florida Chamber championed over two decades ago in 2003 when Florida had the highest workers’ comp rates in the country.

Factors influencing this year’s rate filing include a continued reduction in both the frequency and severity of claims, which is also a national trend. This improvement is attributed to employers’ ongoing commitment to enhancing workplace safety, which have reduced workplace injuries and facilitated quicker return-to-work processes for employees.

The Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) is expected to hold a public hearing sometime in mid-September and will approve or request a modification of the rate request sometime in October or early November. This timeline will allow the rates, once approved by OIR, to take effect as proposed for new policies and policy renewals starting January 1, 2026.