Average workers' compensation benefits and salaries increased in nearby Franklin County, Ohio, in 2010, but a recent federal report from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that such figures are still significantly lower than national averages, despite outpacing the rate of inflation.
Franklin County, home of the state capital of Columbus and located directly next to Marysville's Union County, saw an increase in average workers' compensation benefits of about 2.2 percent to $57,246 between 2009 and 2010. However, nationwide average benefits increased by 2.7 percent to $58,451. During the year the data was taken from, inflation rose by approximately 1.8 percent.
Franklin County's low growth rate means the county ranks in the bottom half of the United States' 170 biggest counties. It has the second-lowest compensation growth in the region, outpacing only Licking County, Ohio, where average compensation benefits climbed by 0.3 percent to $45,276. Madison County had the area's highest rate of growth, with average benefits increasing by 4.6 percent to $47,073. This gave the county the sixth-largest growth rate in the state. Other counties saw more growth generally positioned near the national average. For instance, compensation in Hamilton County grew by 2.6 percent while Cuyahoga County saw an increase of 3 percent.
Workers' compensation growth in Ohio and the rest of the Great Lakes region was prompted primarily by service and durable-goods industries, according to the Commerce Department.
But it's important to remember that no matter the cost, Ohio workers who are injured on the job through no fault of their own should be able to receive compensation to help pay medical expenses and make up for the ability to make a paycheck. Injured workers should not feel intimidated to get the help they need.
Source: Columbus Business First, "Compensation increases for workers in Franklin County below national average," Dec. 14, 2011