Table of Contents Case Volume Analysis Crawford Specialty Solutions  unit volumes by major underlying case category, as measured by cases received, for 201 8  and  2017  were as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2018 2017 Variance U.S. 224,137 220,767 1.5 % U.K. 17,723 15,215 16.5  % Canada 70,161 58,419 20.1 % Australia 6,839 7,775 (12.0 )% Europe 11,005 10,396 5.9 % Rest of World 21,564 20,485 5.3  % Total Crawford Specialty Solutions Cases Received 351,429 333,057 5.5 % Overall, there was a 5.5% increase in cases received in 2018 compared with 2017. The increase in U.S. case volumes in 2018 was due to an increase in high-frequency, low-complexity cases in Contractor Connection. The U.K. case volumes were higher in the 2018 period due to an increase in high-frequency, low-complexity property cases in the Contractor Connection service line. The increase in Canada was due to an increase in weather related cases resulting from the Ontario windstorms in 2018 in Contractor Connection and Global Technical Services. The decrease in Australia cases was due to a reduction in weather related activity in the current year. The increase in cases in Europe was due to an increase in Global Technical Services service line. The increase in cases in Rest of World was due to an increase in high-frequency, low-complexity cases in the Middle East and Asia, partially offset due to a reduction in high-frequency, low-complexity cases in Brazil. Garden City Group services were generally project based and not denominated by individual claims and therefore not included in the table above. Direct Compensation, Fringe Benefits & Non-Employee Labor The most significant expense in our Crawford Specialty Solutions segment is the compensation of employees, including related payroll taxes and fringe benefits, and payments to outsourced service providers that augment the functions performed by our employees. Crawford Specialty Solutions direct compensation, fringe benefits, and non-employee labor expense, as a percent of the related revenues before reimbursements, increased from 48.4% in 2017 to 51.1% in 2018. The amount of these expenses decreased from $169.7 million in 2017 to $155.7 million in 2018. The decrease in the dollar amount in 2018 was primarily due to the Garden City Group disposal referenced above. Excluding the impact of the change in the operating model in the U.K. contractor repair business discussed above, direct compensation expenses, fringe benefits, and non- employee labor as a percent of Crawford Specialty Solutions segment revenues before reimbursements would have been 49.3% in 2018. The increase in expenses as a percent of revenues was due to lower employee utilization in the Garden City Group service line through the date of disposal. Average FTEs in this segment totaled 1,579 in 2018, compared to an average of 1,809 FTEs in 2017. The decrease in employees was due to the Garden City Group disposal referenced above, which had an average of 468 full-time equivalent employees in 2017 compared to 157 in 2018. Crawford Specialty Solutions segment expenses other than reimbursements, direct compensation, fringe benefits, and non-employee labor decreased as a percent of segment revenues before reim bursements to 32.1% in 2018 from 36.3% in 2017, and the dollar amount of these expenses also decreased by $29.3 million. Expenses decreased by 2.4% in 2018 due to the change in the operating model in the U.K. contractor repair business discussed above. The remaining decrease in both the amount and the percent of segment revenues was due to the Garden City Group disposal and a reduction in advertising costs in our Contractor Connection service line during 2018. Expenses Other than Reimbursements, Direct Compensation, Fringe Benefits & Non-Employee Labor 29