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New government rule restricts who can be considered an independent contractor

Jan 10, 2024
The likely outcome of the rule is to designate more people as employees. That has some employers through the gig economy worried.
The new Biden administration rule could put more pressure on app-based gig economy companies, such as Uber, that relies heavily on independent contractors.
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Labor Department wants to get more gig workers on company payrolls

Jan 9, 2024
The previous administration made it easier to classify workers for companies like Uber and DoorDash as independent contractors.
Uber, Lyft and DoorDash said Tuesday they don't plan to change their business models in light of the new rules.
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House GOP threatens to defund office that studies, advocates for working women

Nov 14, 2023
House Republicans recommended eliminating the budget for the Labor Department's Women's Bureau. Here's what could be lost if that happens.
House Republicans have recommended eliminating the $23 million budget of the Women's Bureau as a cost-cutting measure.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

New online platform helps immigrant workers recover stolen wages

Aug 3, 2023
The process of getting back stolen wages is complicated, time-intensive and often unsuccessful. Now, a new online platform is empowering immigrant advocates by making it easier to file wage theft claims.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found that workers were owed $213 million in back wages in 2022, though that amount could be higher due to underreporting.
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Three years after the pandemic recession, signing up for unemployment still isn't easy

Jun 26, 2023
States are upgrading IT and accessibility to unemployment insurance, but it's a long hard road.
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As the job market cools, "job churn" is leveling off from historic pandemic highs

Feb 1, 2023
The more people switch jobs, the better the odds anybody can find a better one.
The number of job openings increased in December. But the rates at which people quit their jobs – and at which companies hire – have been stagnating over the last few months.
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As federal unemployment benefits end, many states' UI systems remain janky

Sep 7, 2021
Some crash, others don’t work on mobile devices. In some states, workers have to wait to receive new passwords by mail to access their accounts.
To help states improve their unemployment systems, the Labor Department is creating an Unemployment Insurance Modernization unit.
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Your guide to understanding unemployment insurance terms

Jul 16, 2020
A helpful glossary for terms and acronyms as the July 31 deadline approaches for Pandemic Unemployment Compensation to end.
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What's it like to return to the workforce in this economy?

Oct 4, 2019
It depends on how long you've been out, what you do and where you live.
A job fair
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New overtime rule covers fewer workers than Obama version

Sep 24, 2019
Had the 2016 rule been instituted, roughly three times more workers would have been covered.
Under the new rule, employers will be required to pay overtime to employees making less than $35,568.
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