As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 11, 2003
                               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)


                    2003 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)

                       CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                       Proposed       Proposed
                                       Maximum        Maximum
                       Amount To       Offering       Aggregate     Amount Of
Title Of Securities        Be           Price         Offering    Registration
To Be Registered       Registered (1) Per Share (2)  Price (1)(2)      Fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMON STOCK,          500,000
$1.00 PAR VALUE         shares           $17.37        $8,685,000    $799.02
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<page>
(1)    This registration statement 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.  In addition,
pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration
Statement also covers an indeterminate amount of interests to be offered or
sold pursuant to the employee benefit plan described herein.

(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 March 7, 2003.


                                    PART I

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS


     ITEM 2.    REGISTRANT INFORMATION AND INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION
     -------    PLAN INFORMATION.

EMC Insurance Group Inc. (the "Company") will provide without charge, upon
written or oral request, a copy of the documents incorporated herein by
reference in Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement, or other
documents required to be delivered to participants pursuant to Rule 428(b) of
the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act").  The documents identified
in Item 3 of Part II are incorporated by reference into the Section 10(a)
Prospectus.  Requests for such copies should be directed to Donald D. Klemme,
Senior Vice President and Secretary, EMC Insurance Group Inc., 717 Mulberry
Street, Des Moines, IA  50309, (515)280-2626.


                                   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, 2001, 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, 2002, 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, 2002, filed pursuant to Section 13 of the Exchange Act.

<page>

(4)     The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three-month period
ended September 30, 2002, filed pursuant to Section 13 of the Exchange Act.

(5)     The Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed July 7, 2002.

(6)     The Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed January 29, 2003.

(7)     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.

(8)     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.

     ITEM 4.     DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.
     -------
Not applicable.

     ITEM 5.     INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.
     -------
Not applicable.

     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.

<page>

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 Casualty Company 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 7.     EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.
     -------
Not applicable.

     ITEM 8.     EXHIBITS.
     -------
The exhibits accompanying this Registration Statement are listed on the
accompanying Exhibit Index.

     ITEM 9.     UNDERTAKINGS.
     -------
(a)     The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(1)     to file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a
        post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement; (i) to
        include any prospectus required by Section 10(a) (3) of the Securities
        Act; (ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
        after the effective date of this Registration Statement (or the most
        recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
        aggregate, represents a fundamental change in the information set
        forth in this Registration Statement; (iii) to include any material
        information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously
        disclosed in this Registration Statement or any material change to
        such information in this Registration Statement; provided, however,
        that (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) shall not apply if the information
        required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
        paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the registrant
        pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are
        incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.

(2)     That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
        Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to
        be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered
        therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be
        deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3)     To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any
        of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
        termination of the offering.

<page>

(b)     The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
        determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of
        the registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section
        15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of
        an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of
        the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in this
        Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration
        statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
        offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the
        initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c)     The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to deliver or cause to
        be delivered with the prospectus, to each person to whom the
        prospectus is sent or given, the latest annual report to security
        holders that is incorporated by reference in the prospectus and
        furnished pursuant to and meeting the requirements of Rule 14a-3 or
        Rule 14c-3 under the Exchange Act and, where interim financial
        information required to be presented by Article 3 of Regulation S-X
        are not set forth in the prospectus, to deliver, or cause to be
        delivered to each person to whom the prospectus is sent or given, the
        latest quarterly report that is specifically incorporated by
        reference in the prospectus to provide such interim financial
        information.

(d)     Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
        Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and
        controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing
        provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the
        opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public
        policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore,
        unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification against
        such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses
        incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the
        registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
        proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling
        person in connection with the securities being registered, the
        registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has
        been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
        appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by
        it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and
        will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                  SIGNATURES

The Registrant.  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
March 11, 2003.

                              EMC INSURANCE GROUP INC.


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

<page>

The Plan.  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,
Employers Mutual Casualty Company 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 March 11, 2003.  This registration
statement has been signed by Employers Mutual Casualty Company.

                              Employers Mutual Casualty Company


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

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration
statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on
the dates indicated.

By: /s/ Bruce G. Kelley              March 11, 2003
-----------------------
Bruce G. Kelley
President, Chief Executive Officer
and Director

By: /s/ Mark E. Reese                March 11, 2003
-----------------------
Mark E. Reese
Chief Financial and Accounting Officer

                              POWER OF ATTORNEY

     Know all persons by these presents, that each of the undersigned hereby
constitutes and appoints, jointly and severally, Bruce G. Kelley and Mark E.
Reese, or either of them (with full power to each of them to act alone), as
his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, each with full power of
substitution and resubstitution, for him and on his behalf to sign, execute
and file this S-8 Registration Statement and any or all amendments (including,
without limitation, post-effective amendments) to this S-8 Registration
Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all documents
required to be filed with respect therewith, with the Securities and
Exchange Commission or any regulatory authority, granting unto such attorneys-
in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and
perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in
connection therewith and about the premises in order to effectuate the same
as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do if personally
present, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorneys-in-fact and
agents, or any of them, or his or their substitute or substitutes, may
lawfully do or cause to be done.

<page>

By: /s/ George C. Carpenter III *                 February 25, 2003
-------------------------------------
    George C. Carpenter III, Director

By: /s/ E. H. Creese *                            February 25, 2003
-------------------------------------
    E. H. Creese, Director

By: /s/ David J. Fisher *                         February 25, 2003
-------------------------------------
    David J. Fisher, Director

By: /s/ George W. Kochheiser *                    February 25, 2003
-------------------------------------
    George W. Kochheiser, Director

By: /s/ Raymond A. Michel *                       February 25, 2003
-------------------------------------
    Raymond A. Michel, Director

By: /s/ Fredrick A. Schiek *                      February 25, 2003
-------------------------------------
    Fredrick A. Schiek, Director


        * By /s/ Mark E. Reese                    February 25, 2003
          -----------------------
             Mark E. Reese
            (Attorney-in-Fact)

<page>

                                EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number      Exhibit
-------     -------

   4        Instruments defining rights of security holders, including
            indentures

            4(a)  Articles of Incorporation of the Company, as amended.
            (Incorporated by reference from the Company's Form 10-K for the
            calendar year ended December 31, 1998.)

            4(b)  Bylaws of the Company, as amended.  (Incorporated by
            reference from the Company's Form 10-K for the calendar year
            ended December 31, 2001.)

   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 Ernst & Young LLP

 23.3       Consent of KPMG LLP

 24         Power of Attorney (included on signature page hereof)

 99.1       2003 Employers Mutual Casualty Company Incentive Stock Option Plan
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "filename": "s8form2003.txt", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 18150}]
{"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": "333-103722", "film-number": "03598867"}, "business-address": {"street1": "717 MULBERRY ST", "city": "DES MOINES", "state": "IA", "zip": "50309", "phone": "5152802902"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "717 MULBERRY STREET", "city": "DES MOINES", "state": "IA", "zip": "50309"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 11, 2003
                               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)

                    2003 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)

                       CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                       Proposed       Proposed
                                       Maximum        Maximum
                       Amount To       Offering       Aggregate     Amount Of
Title Of Securities        Be           Price         Offering    Registration
To Be Registered       Registered (1) Per Share (2)  Price (1)(2)      Fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMON STOCK,          500,000
$1.00 PAR VALUE         shares           $17.37        $8,685,000    $799.02
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1)    This registration statement 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.  In addition,
pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration
Statement also covers an indeterminate amount of interests to be offered or
sold pursuant to the employee benefit plan described herein.

(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 March 7, 2003.

                                    PART I

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

     ITEM 2.    REGISTRANT INFORMATION AND INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION
     -------    PLAN INFORMATION.

EMC Insurance Group Inc. (the "Company") will provide without charge, upon
written or oral request, a copy of the documents incorporated herein by
reference in Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement, or other
documents required to be delivered to participants pursuant to Rule 428(b) of
the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act").  The documents identified
in Item 3 of Part II are incorporated by reference into the Section 10(a)
Prospectus.  Requests for such copies should be directed to Donald D. Klemme,
Senior Vice President and Secretary, EMC Insurance Group Inc., 717 Mulberry
Street, Des Moines, IA  50309, (515)280-2626.

                                   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, 2001, 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, 2002, 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, 2002, 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, 2002, filed pursuant to Section 13 of the Exchange Act.

(5)     The Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed July 7, 2002.

(6)     The Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed January 29, 2003.

(7)     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.

(8)     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.

     ITEM 4.     DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.
     -------
Not applicable.

     ITEM 5.     INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.
     -------
Not applicable.

     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 Casualty Company 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 7.     EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.
     -------
Not applicable.

     ITEM 8.     EXHIBITS.
     -------
The exhibits accompanying this Registration Statement are listed on the
accompanying Exhibit Index.

     ITEM 9.     UNDERTAKINGS.
     -------
(a)     The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(1)     to file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a
        post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement; (i) to
        include any prospectus required by Section 10(a) (3) of the Securities
        Act; (ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising
        after the effective date of this Registration Statement (or the most
        recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
        aggregate, represents a fundamental change in the information set
        forth in this Registration Statement; (iii) to include any material
        information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously
        disclosed in this Registration Statement or any material change to
        such information in this Registration Statement; provided, however,
        that (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) shall not apply if the information
        required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
        paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the registrant
        pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are
        incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.

(2)     That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
        Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to
        be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered
        therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be
        deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3)     To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any
        of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
        termination of the offering.
(b)     The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
        determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of
        the registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section
        15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of
        an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of
        the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in this
        Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration
        statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
        offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the
        initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c)     The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to deliver or cause to
        be delivered with the prospectus, to each person to whom the
        prospectus is sent or given, the latest annual report to security
        holders that is incorporated by reference in the prospectus and
        furnished pursuant to and meeting the requirements of Rule 14a-3 or
        Rule 14c-3 under the Exchange Act and, where interim financial
        information required to be presented by Article 3 of Regulation S-X
        are not set forth in the prospectus, to deliver, or cause to be
        delivered to each person to whom the prospectus is sent or given, the
        latest quarterly report that is specifically incorporated by
        reference in the prospectus to provide such interim financial
        information.

(d)     Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
        Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and
        controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing
        provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the
        opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public
        policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore,
        unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification against
        such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses
        incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the
        registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
        proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling
        person in connection with the securities being registered, the
        registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has
        been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
        appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by
        it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and
        will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                  SIGNATURES

The Registrant.  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
March 11, 2003.

                              EMC INSURANCE GROUP INC.

                              By: /s/ Bruce G. Kelley
                              -----------------------
                              Bruce G. Kelley
                              President and Chief Executive Officer
The Plan.  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,
Employers Mutual Casualty Company 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 March 11, 2003.  This registration
statement has been signed by Employers Mutual Casualty Company.

                              Employers Mutual Casualty Company

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

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration
statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on
the dates indicated.

By: /s/ Bruce G. Kelley              March 11, 2003
-----------------------
Bruce G. Kelley
President, Chief Executive Officer
and Director

By: /s/ Mark E. Reese                March 11, 2003
-----------------------
Mark E. Reese
Chief Financial and Accounting Officer

                              POWER OF ATTORNEY

     Know all persons by these presents, that each of the undersigned hereby
constitutes and appoints, jointly and severally, Bruce G. Kelley and Mark E.
Reese, or either of them (with full power to each of them to act alone), as
his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, each with full power of
substitution and resubstitution, for him and on his behalf to sign, execute
and file this S-8 Registration Statement and any or all amendments (including,
without limitation, post-effective amendments) to this S-8 Registration
Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all documents
required to be filed with respect therewith, with the Securities and
Exchange Commission or any regulatory authority, granting unto such attorneys-
in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and
perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in
connection therewith and about the premises in order to effectuate the same
as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do if personally
present, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorneys-in-fact and
agents, or any of them, or his or their substitute or substitutes, may
lawfully do or cause to be done.
By: /s/ George C. Carpenter III *                 February 25, 2003
-------------------------------------
    George C. Carpenter III, Director

By: /s/ E. H. Creese *                            February 25, 2003
-------------------------------------
    E. H. Creese, Director

By: /s/ David J. Fisher *                         February 25, 2003
-------------------------------------
    David J. Fisher, Director

By: /s/ George W. Kochheiser *                    February 25, 2003
-------------------------------------
    George W. Kochheiser, Director

By: /s/ Raymond A. Michel *                       February 25, 2003
-------------------------------------
    Raymond A. Michel, Director

By: /s/ Fredrick A. Schiek *                      February 25, 2003
-------------------------------------
    Fredrick A. Schiek, Director

        * By /s/ Mark E. Reese                    February 25, 2003
          -----------------------
             Mark E. Reese
            (Attorney-in-Fact)
EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number      Exhibit
-------     -------

   4        Instruments defining rights of security holders, including
            indentures

            4(a)  Articles of Incorporation of the Company, as amended.
            (Incorporated by reference from the Company's Form 10-K for the
            calendar year ended December 31, 1998.)

            4(b)  Bylaws of the Company, as amended.  (Incorporated by
            reference from the Company's Form 10-K for the calendar year
            ended December 31, 2001.)

   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 Ernst & Young LLP

 23.3       Consent of KPMG LLP

 24         Power of Attorney (included on signature page hereof)

 99.1       2003 Employers Mutual Casualty Company Incentive Stock Option Plan