The Biden administration has issued a highly anticipated proposal on how it will approach independent contractor status under federal wage law, its second attempt to undo a Trump-era standard that it says leaves workers vulnerable to misclassification.

The proposal, released Tuesday by the US Labor Department, clarifies when workers should be classified as independent contractors who are in business for themselves, or employees who are afforded the full minimum wage, overtime, and other protections provided under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Gig companies such as Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc., and construction, trucking, and other industries that use independent contractors to staff their fleets were watching closely for the rule. Shares of Uber and Lyft tumbled Tuesday after the DOL announced the proposal.

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