Most Oregon employers will see workers' compensation rates drop next year, state officials said Wednesday, continuing what has been a 16-year decline in the cost of insuring against workplace injuries.

But that drop may have come at a cost to workers injured on the job, at least one workers advocate said Wednesday. The rate of injured-worker claims accepted by insurers fell to an all-time low last year of 1.3 per 100 workers, down from 2.8 per 100 workers in 1990.

"I know Oregon wants to create a good climate for business, but at what expense?" asked Steve Schoenfeld, a Portland attorney who represents workers in workers compensation cases. "A lot of workers are getting squeezed out."

Cory Streisinger, director of the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, which oversees the compensation system, said the drop has occurred largely because workplaces have become safer, not because insurers are denying more claims.

In all, Oregon employers will save about $44 million next year, the department said, or about $26 per insured worker. The system covers 87,150 employers.

Not all employers will see their rates decline. The cost of insurance varies by industry, claim experience and other factors. For example, construction companies will see, on average, a slight increase in their premiums, state officials estimate.

Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski used the annual rate announcement to draw attention to the state's economic development efforts during a news conference Wednesday in front of a downtown Portland construction site.

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