Today’s issue of WorkCompRecap features the release of a new edition of NCCI’s Quarterly Economics Briefing, which examines the current state of the economy and the implications for workers’ comp insurance.
Key highlights from this edition included a continued exploration of critical issues impacting the US labor market, with this edition focusing on the impact of immigration on the reduced labor force. Immigration is a key driver of US labor force and employment growth, and reduced immigration in 2020 and 2021 (almost 1 million fewer new immigrant workers than pre-pandemic expectations) contributed to the recent decrease in labor supply. Additionally, foreign-born workers are much more likely to work in agriculture, construction, production, transportation, and cleaning and maintenance occupations, where workers’ comp outcomes may be particularly sensitive to labor shortages and workforce changes, given above-average rates of workplace injuries and illnesses.