The composite rate for commercial insurance coverage in the USrose an average of 1.5 percent in September 2014.

Contractors paid the highest year on year increase at plus 4percent followed by transportation at plus 3 percent. Serviceaccounts were plus 2 percent while manufacturing, habitational,public entity and energy risks measured plus 1 percent.

By size of premium, small account rates were up 3 percent,medium accounts up 2 percent, large accounts up 1 percent and jumboaccounts had no rate increases.

By line of coverage, inland marine, professional liability,fiduciary, crime, surety and business interruption coverages wereall up 1 percent. Commercial property, BOP, general liability,auto, umbrella, workers' compensation, D&O, and EPLI were up 2percent.

Richard Kerr, CEO of MarketScout profiled industry results bynoting, “We are measuring changes with a high degree of sensitivitybecause the monthly changes are ever so slight. However, ratesclearly continue to drift downward.”

The National Alliance for Insurance Education and Researchconducted pricing surveys used in MarketScout's analysis of marketconditions.. These surveys help to further corroborateMarketScout's actual findings, mathematically driven by new andrenewal placements across the United States.

A summary of the September 2014 rates by coverage,industry class and account size is set forth below.