New and emerging work relationships arising in the “online gig economy” do not fit easily into the existing legal definitions of “employee” and “independent contractor” status. The distinction is important because employees qualify for a range of legally mandated benefits and protections that are not available to independent contractors, such as the right to organize...

The organization of work is changing rapidly for America’s workers. While the latter decades of the 20th century witnessed a transformation from the post–World War II paradigm of long-term stable employment with a single employer to an economy in which many individuals expected to move through several jobs over their careers, the 21st century surge...

Misclassification of employees as independent contractors exacts an enormous toll on workers, law-abiding employers, and our economy. Accurate information on the prevalence of the problem, and on patterns of violations, can help government officials to direct their efforts at the worst violators and most problematic industries.