United Kingdom (UK) Employers’ Liability Insurance: Market Dynamics and Opportunities 2023
Summary
This report tracks the health and shape of the employers’ liability market - taking into account market size, profitability, performance ratios, and the claims environment. The UK’s economic growth, business landscape, and cost-of-living crisis are all taken into consideration to build a full picture of this space. Key shifts in the market and likely future changes are analyzed for impact across all relevant stakeholders.
The employers’ liability market is expected to grow by 9.2% in 2023, following strong growth of 25.6% in 2022. The increase in 2023 can be ascribed to rising premiums brought on by inflationary pressures and rising claim costs. The current economic conditions, which are marked by high rates of interest and inflation, have increased the expenses associated with conducting business. Along with the current recession the UK has entered, this may cause the unemployment rate to increase, hence having an impact on the employers’ liability market. The market is directly reliant on the number of businesses and employees in the UK, so this will have a negative impact on premiums. With the average cost of claims increasing, insurers will have to keep an eye on their pricing to ensure they do not lose out and maintain a strong underwriting profit. GlobalData forecasts GWP to reach GBP2.16 million by 2027.
Scope
The employers’ liability market is expected to grow by 9.2% in 2023, with GWP growing to GBP2.08 billion.
The market experienced a good underwriting profit of GBP68 million in 2022, despite gross claims incurred increasing by 53.9% to GBP1.07 billion.
The average claims cost increased significantly, rising by 70.2% from 2021 to a 10-year high of GBP18,682 in 2022.
With a 9.1% market share, Aviva emerges as the top employers’ liability insurance provider in the SME sector, trailed by AXA (5.5%) and Zurich (4.8%).
Reasons to Buy
Understand the context of the UK’s economic growth and business landscape in relation to the employers’ liability insurance market.
Determine key announcements, shifts in the market, and likely future changes relevant to all stakeholders.
Review your strategy against both existing and new challenges in this market.
Benchmark yourself against the market’s experience of market size, growth, performance, and the claims environment.
Executive Summary
Market overview
Key findings
Critical success factors
Market Dynamics
Employers' liability GWP is expected to have increased by 9.2% in 2023, following growth of 25.6% in 2022
Table Figure 1: The employers' liability market is expected to have grown by 9.2% in 2023 following a 25.6% growth in 2022
Table Figure 2: The number of businesses in the private sector fell in 2023 following a tough economic environment
Table The number of employing private sector businesses and employees in the UK, 2016-23
Table The number of employing businesses by company size, 2017-23
Table Figure 3: The majority of regions in the UK experienced a decline in the number of businesses
Table The number of private sector employees and businesses by industry, 2022-23
Underwriting profits remain positive in 2022 despite a large increase in claims incurred
Table Figure 4: Underwriting profits for the market remain small given that claims increased in 2022
Table Employers' liability ratios, 2017-22
The average cost of claims continued to increase in 2022
Table Figure 5: The average claims cost continued the upward trend and almost doubled in 2022
Table Figure 6: The number of non-fatal workplace injuries started to fall again in 2022-23p
Table The total number of fatalities and injuries in the workplace, 2015/16-22/23p
The Civil Liability Act aims to reform personal injury compensation practices
Table Figure 7: The Civil Liability Act has seen the number of settlements fall since its introduction
The dynamic of working is reaching a plateau in terms of remote working models
Table Figure 8: Remote working remains up since the pandemic among different SME sizes
Competitor Dynamics
Chubb maintains its position as the top provider of general liability insurance in 2022
Table Figure 9: Chubb continued to grow its share of the UK general liability market in 2022, boasting a share of 10.3%
Table Leading UK general liability insurers by GWP (GBP 000s), 2021-22
Table Figure 10: Aviva overtakes AXA as the most popular provider of employers' liability for all SMEs
Table Figure 11: The top reason for SMEs switching provider is pricing considerations, growing by 9.1pp in 2023
The Market Going Forward
Employers' liability is expected to have reached GBP2.08 billion in 2023 and then continue growing at a slower rate