“These laws and executive orders vary in the scope of workers covered, that is, which industries and/or occupations fall within the laws and executive orders,” said Dr. John Ruser, WCRI president and CEO. “These studies give a sense of the size of employment potentially covered by the laws and orders. They do not estimate the number of workers who contract COVID-19 at work, nor do they measure the number of COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims.”
The reports used data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Currently the Institute has published studies for five states (Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, and Missouri) and plans to publish studies for the 15 states that have enacted a COVID-19 presumption. All the studies are complimentary and available on the Institute’s website at https://www.wcrinet.org/images/uploads/files/wcri_presumption_coverage.pdf.
About WCRI
The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) is an independent, not-for-profit research organization based in Cambridge, MA. Organized in 1983, the Institute does not take positions on the issues it researches. It provides information obtained through studies and data collection efforts, which conform to recognized scientific methods. Objectivity is further ensured through rigorous, unbiased peer review procedures. WCRI's diverse membership includes employers; insurers; governmental entities; managed care companies; health care providers; insurance regulators; state labor organizations; and state administrative agencies in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.