California’s workers’ compensation system continues to experience moderate but persistent cost growth due to wage increases, labor market conditions, rising medical expenses and system complexity.

Payments per claim in California’s workers’ comp system have risen steadily since 2021, according to a new study, which shows that for claims evaluated in 2025, total payments per claim increased by 6%.

The Workers Compensation Research Institute’s CompScope Benchmarks for California report examines costs and system performance in California’s workers’
comp system from 2020 to 2025, using multistate comparisons across a range of claims and benefit measures.

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