As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 30, 1998
                          Registration No. 333-____

                               UNITED STATES
                     SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                         Washington, D.C.  20549
                                                              

                                FORM S-8 
                       REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
                    THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1933
                                           

                           EMC INSURANCE GROUP INC.
                (Exact name of issuer as specified in its charter)

        Iowa                                         42-6234555             
(State or other jurisdiction of                   (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                   Identification No.)


                717 Mulberry Street, Des Moines, Iowa   50309     
            (Address of principal executive office and Zip Code)


                     1993 Employers Mutual Casualty Company      
                            Incentive Stock Option Plan
                              (Full title of the plan)              

                    Donald D. Klemme, EMC Insurance Group Inc.
                   717 Mulberry Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50309                 
                      (Name and address of agent for service)
                                 (515) 280-2626   
            (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)    


                                     Copy to:
                            G. Thomas Sullivan, Esq.
                   Nyemaster, Goode, Voigts, West, Hansell & O'Brien, P.C.
                             700 Walnut, Suite 1600
                             Des Moines, Iowa 50309
                                  (515) 283-3126










<PAGE>



                               Calculation of Registration Fee
              
                            
Title of         Amount       Proposed             Proposed         Amount of
Securities      to be          Maximum             Maximum        Registration
to be           Registered    Offering Price      Aggregate            Fee 
Registered                     Per Share        Offering Price
                   (1)           (2)               (1) (2)             (3)
                                                        
Common
Stock            500,000       $13.25            $6,625,000.00        $1,954.38
$1.00 par       Shares
value          
                                              

(1)  Amount represents the number of shares issuable pursuant to the above-
     referenced Plan, which is in addition to the 500,000 shares registered on
     Registration Statement No. 33-49337.  In addition, this Registration
     Statement also covers an indeterminate amount of additional securities
     which may be issued under the above-referenced Plan pursuant to the share
     adjustment provisions of such Plan. 

(2)  Estimated in accordance with Rules 457(c) and (h)(1), the proposed
     maximum offering price per share, proposed maximum aggregate offering
     price and the amount of the registration fee are based upon the last sale
     price reported on the NASDAQ National Market System on January 28,
     1998.  

(3)  On February 12, 1993, registration fees of $1,289.06 were paid with
     respect to the 500,000 shares of Common Stock registered pursuant to
     Registration Statement No. 33-49337.  Additional fees of $1,954.38 with
     respect to the additional 500,000 shares of Common Stock registered
     pursuant to this Registration Statement are being paid on the date hereof
     pursuant to Instruction E of Form S-8.   


<PAGE>
                Registration of Additional Securities

This Registration Statement relates to the amendment of the 1993 Employers
Mutual Casualty Company Incentive Stock Option Plan to increase the number of
shares of Common Stock, par value $1.00, authorized to be issued thereunder
from 500,000 to 1,000,000.  The contents of the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form S-8, except for Items 3, 6 and 8, with respect to the 1993
Employers Mutual Casualty Company Incentive Stock Option Plan, Registration
No. 33-49337, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February
12, 1993, are hereby incorporated by reference pursuant to Instruction E of
Form S-8.  

                            PART II
       INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

The following documents, filed by the Company with the Commission, are
incorporated herein by reference:

     (1)  The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the calendar year
     ended December 31, 1996, filed pursuant to Section 13 of the Exchange
     Act.  

     (2)  The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three-month
     period ended March 31, 1997, filed pursuant to Section 13 of the Exchange
     Act.  

     (3)  The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three-month
     period ended June 30, 1997, filed pursuant to Section 13 of the Exchange
     Act.  

     (4)  The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three-month
     period ended September 30, 1997, filed pursuant to Section 13 of the
     Exchange Act.  

     (5)  The description of the Company's Common Stock contained in its
     Registration Statement on Form 8-A under Section 12 of the Exchange Act,
     including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such
     description.

     (6)  All reports and other documents subsequently filed by the Company
     pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act
     subsequent to the date hereof, and prior to the filing of a post-effective
     amendment to the Registration Statement which indicates that all securities
     offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining
     unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a
     part hereof from the date of the filing of such reports and documents.  Any
     statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be
     incorporated herein by reference shall be deemed to be modified or
     superseded for the purpose of this Registration Statement to the extent 
     that such a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed
     document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein
     modifies or supersedes such document.  

The Company undertakes to provide, without charge to each person to whom a
Prospectus is delivered, upon written or oral request of such person, a copy of
any and all of the information that has been incorporated by reference in this
Registration Statement (not including exhibits to the information that is
incorporated by reference herein unless such exhibits are specifically 
incorporated by reference into the information incorporated by reference).  Such
oral or written request may be made to:  EMC Insurance Group Inc., 717 Mulberry
Street, Des Moines, Iowa  50309, attention:  Corporate Secretary.  

<PAGE>

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers. 

The Iowa Business Corporation Act makes provision for the indemnification of
directors and officers in terms sufficiently broad to indemnify such persons
from liability (including reimbursements for expenses incurred) arising under
the Securities Act of 1933.  Generally, indemnification is permissible if (i)
the person acted in good faith and, (ii) if acting in the person's official
capacity, in a manner reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the
Company and, in all other cases, that the person's conduct was at least not
opposed to the Company's best interests and, (iii) in the case of any criminal
proceeding, the person had no reasonable cause to believe the person's conduct
was unlawful.  The By-Laws of the Company provide for indemnification of
officers, directors, employees, or agents as permitted under the Iowa Business
Corporation Act or as otherwise permitted by law.

The Plan provides for indemnification to the full extent permitted by law of
any person in connection with any proceeding, suit or action brought by reason
of any action taken or not taken under the Plan while such person was a member
of the Board of Directors of Employers Mutual or the Company.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of
1933 may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling the
registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the registrant has been
informed that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against
public policy as expressed in the Act and is therefore unenforceable.


Item 8.  Exhibits.

The exhibits accompanying this Registration Statement are listed on the
accompanying Exhibit Index.  

<PAGE>

                           SIGNATURES

    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Des Moines, State of Iowa, on January 30, 1998.

                                    EMC INSURANCE GROUP INC.




                                    By:/s/ Bruce G. Kelley
                                       -------------------------------------
                                       Bruce G. Kelley
                                       President and Chief Executive Officer

    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1933, 
this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in
the capacities and on the date indicated.

                                                               Date  

By: /s/ Bruce G. Kelley                                   January 30, 1998
    ----------------------------------
    Bruce G. Kelley
    President, Chief Executive Officer 
      and Director

By: /s/ Mark E. Reese                                     January 30, 1998
    ----------------------------------
    Mark E. Reese
    Chief Financial and Accounting Officer

By: /s/ George C. Carpenter III *                         January 30, 1998
    ----------------------------------
    George C. Carpenter III, Director
   
By: /s/ E. H. Creese *                                    January 30, 1998 
    ----------------------------------
    E. H. Creese, Director

By: /s/ David J. Fisher *                                 January 30, 1998
    ----------------------------------
    David J. Fisher, Director

By: /s/ George W. Kochheiser *                            January 30, 1998
    ----------------------------------
    George W. Kochheiser, Director

By: /s/  Raymond A. Michel *                              January 30, 1998
    ----------------------------------
    Raymond A. Michel, Director

By: /s/ Fredrick A. Schiek *                              January 30, 1998
    ----------------------------------
    Fredrick A. Schiek, Director


        * By /s/ Mark E. Reese                            January 30, 1998
             -------------------------
             Mark E. Reese
             (Attorney-in-Fact)

<PAGE>
                         EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number

5         Opinion of Nyemaster, Goode, Voigts, West, Hansell & O'Brien, P.C.
          with respect to the legality of securities

23.1      Consent of Nyemaster, Goode, Voigts, West, Hansell & O'Brien, P.C.
          (contained in Exhibit 5)

23.2      Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP

24        Power of Attorney 

99.1           1993 Employers Mutual Casualty Company Incentive Stock Option
               Plan, as amended
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "secsgml_size_bytes": 11891}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "EMC INSURANCE GROUP INC", "cik": "0000356130", "assigned-sic": "6331", "irs-number": "426234555", "state-of-incorporation": "IA", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-45279", "film-number": "98517977"}, "business-address": {"street1": "717 MULBERRY ST", "city": "DES MOINES", "state": "IA", "zip": "50309", "phone": "5152802902"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 30, 1998
                          Registration No. 333-____

                               UNITED STATES
                     SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                         Washington, D.C.  20549
                                                              

                                FORM S-8 
                       REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
                    THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1933
                                           

                           EMC INSURANCE GROUP INC.
                (Exact name of issuer as specified in its charter)

        Iowa                                         42-6234555             
(State or other jurisdiction of                   (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                   Identification No.)

                717 Mulberry Street, Des Moines, Iowa   50309     
            (Address of principal executive office and Zip Code)

                     1993 Employers Mutual Casualty Company      
                            Incentive Stock Option Plan
                              (Full title of the plan)              

                    Donald D. Klemme, EMC Insurance Group Inc.
                   717 Mulberry Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50309                 
                      (Name and address of agent for service)
                                 (515) 280-2626   
            (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)    

                                     Copy to:
                            G. Thomas Sullivan, Esq.
                   Nyemaster, Goode, Voigts, West, Hansell & O'Brien, P.C.
                             700 Walnut, Suite 1600
                             Des Moines, Iowa 50309
                                  (515) 283-3126
Calculation of Registration Fee
              
                            
Title of         Amount       Proposed             Proposed         Amount of
Securities      to be          Maximum             Maximum        Registration
to be           Registered    Offering Price      Aggregate            Fee 
Registered                     Per Share        Offering Price
                   (1)           (2)               (1) (2)             (3)
                                                        
Common
Stock            500,000       $13.25            $6,625,000.00        $1,954.38
$1.00 par       Shares
value          
                                              

(1)  Amount represents the number of shares issuable pursuant to the above-
     referenced Plan, which is in addition to the 500,000 shares registered on
     Registration Statement No. 33-49337.  In addition, this Registration
     Statement also covers an indeterminate amount of additional securities
     which may be issued under the above-referenced Plan pursuant to the share
     adjustment provisions of such Plan. 

(2)  Estimated in accordance with Rules 457(c) and (h)(1), the proposed
     maximum offering price per share, proposed maximum aggregate offering
     price and the amount of the registration fee are based upon the last sale
     price reported on the NASDAQ National Market System on January 28,
     1998.  

(3)  On February 12, 1993, registration fees of $1,289.06 were paid with
     respect to the 500,000 shares of Common Stock registered pursuant to
     Registration Statement No. 33-49337.  Additional fees of $1,954.38 with
     respect to the additional 500,000 shares of Common Stock registered
     pursuant to this Registration Statement are being paid on the date hereof
     pursuant to Instruction E of Form S-8.
Registration of Additional Securities

This Registration Statement relates to the amendment of the 1993 Employers
Mutual Casualty Company Incentive Stock Option Plan to increase the number of
shares of Common Stock, par value $1.00, authorized to be issued thereunder
from 500,000 to 1,000,000.  The contents of the Registrant's Registration
Statement on Form S-8, except for Items 3, 6 and 8, with respect to the 1993
Employers Mutual Casualty Company Incentive Stock Option Plan, Registration
No. 33-49337, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February
12, 1993, are hereby incorporated by reference pursuant to Instruction E of
Form S-8.  

                            PART II
       INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

The following documents, filed by the Company with the Commission, are
incorporated herein by reference:

     (1)  The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the calendar year
     ended December 31, 1996, filed pursuant to Section 13 of the Exchange
     Act.  

     (2)  The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three-month
     period ended March 31, 1997, filed pursuant to Section 13 of the Exchange
     Act.  

     (3)  The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three-month
     period ended June 30, 1997, filed pursuant to Section 13 of the Exchange
     Act.  

     (4)  The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three-month
     period ended September 30, 1997, filed pursuant to Section 13 of the
     Exchange Act.  

     (5)  The description of the Company's Common Stock contained in its
     Registration Statement on Form 8-A under Section 12 of the Exchange Act,
     including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such
     description.

     (6)  All reports and other documents subsequently filed by the Company
     pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act
     subsequent to the date hereof, and prior to the filing of a post-effective
     amendment to the Registration Statement which indicates that all securities
     offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining
     unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a
     part hereof from the date of the filing of such reports and documents.  Any
     statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be
     incorporated herein by reference shall be deemed to be modified or
     superseded for the purpose of this Registration Statement to the extent 
     that such a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed
     document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein
     modifies or supersedes such document.  

The Company undertakes to provide, without charge to each person to whom a
Prospectus is delivered, upon written or oral request of such person, a copy of
any and all of the information that has been incorporated by reference in this
Registration Statement (not including exhibits to the information that is
incorporated by reference herein unless such exhibits are specifically 
incorporated by reference into the information incorporated by reference).  Such
oral or written request may be made to:  EMC Insurance Group Inc., 717 Mulberry
Street, Des Moines, Iowa  50309, attention:  Corporate Secretary.
Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers. 

The Iowa Business Corporation Act makes provision for the indemnification of
directors and officers in terms sufficiently broad to indemnify such persons
from liability (including reimbursements for expenses incurred) arising under
the Securities Act of 1933.  Generally, indemnification is permissible if (i)
the person acted in good faith and, (ii) if acting in the person's official
capacity, in a manner reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the
Company and, in all other cases, that the person's conduct was at least not
opposed to the Company's best interests and, (iii) in the case of any criminal
proceeding, the person had no reasonable cause to believe the person's conduct
was unlawful.  The By-Laws of the Company provide for indemnification of
officers, directors, employees, or agents as permitted under the Iowa Business
Corporation Act or as otherwise permitted by law.

The Plan provides for indemnification to the full extent permitted by law of
any person in connection with any proceeding, suit or action brought by reason
of any action taken or not taken under the Plan while such person was a member
of the Board of Directors of Employers Mutual or the Company.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of
1933 may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling the
registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the registrant has been
informed that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against
public policy as expressed in the Act and is therefore unenforceable.

Item 8.  Exhibits.

The exhibits accompanying this Registration Statement are listed on the
accompanying Exhibit Index.
SIGNATURES

    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Des Moines, State of Iowa, on January 30, 1998.

                                    EMC INSURANCE GROUP INC.

                                    By:/s/ Bruce G. Kelley
                                       -------------------------------------
                                       Bruce G. Kelley
                                       President and Chief Executive Officer

    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1933, 
this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in
the capacities and on the date indicated.

                                                               Date  

By: /s/ Bruce G. Kelley                                   January 30, 1998
    ----------------------------------
    Bruce G. Kelley
    President, Chief Executive Officer 
      and Director

By: /s/ Mark E. Reese                                     January 30, 1998
    ----------------------------------
    Mark E. Reese
    Chief Financial and Accounting Officer

By: /s/ George C. Carpenter III *                         January 30, 1998
    ----------------------------------
    George C. Carpenter III, Director
   
By: /s/ E. H. Creese *                                    January 30, 1998 
    ----------------------------------
    E. H. Creese, Director

By: /s/ David J. Fisher *                                 January 30, 1998
    ----------------------------------
    David J. Fisher, Director

By: /s/ George W. Kochheiser *                            January 30, 1998
    ----------------------------------
    George W. Kochheiser, Director

By: /s/  Raymond A. Michel *                              January 30, 1998
    ----------------------------------
    Raymond A. Michel, Director

By: /s/ Fredrick A. Schiek *                              January 30, 1998
    ----------------------------------
    Fredrick A. Schiek, Director

        * By /s/ Mark E. Reese                            January 30, 1998
             -------------------------
             Mark E. Reese
             (Attorney-in-Fact)
EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number

5         Opinion of Nyemaster, Goode, Voigts, West, Hansell & O'Brien, P.C.
          with respect to the legality of securities

23.1      Consent of Nyemaster, Goode, Voigts, West, Hansell & O'Brien, P.C.
          (contained in Exhibit 5)

23.2      Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP

24        Power of Attorney 

99.1           1993 Employers Mutual Casualty Company Incentive Stock Option
               Plan, as amended