In the final days of the Trump administration, the Department of Labor issued a rule providing much-needed clarity to millions of people who work as independent contractors. Shortly after the Biden administration took over, however, it issued a regulatory freeze preventing any rule yet to be implemented from going into effect. Included in this freeze was the Trump administration’s rule on the status of independent contractors.

President Joe Biden’s war on independent contractors further escalated in March 2021 when his Department of Labor announced plans to withdraw the rule. While the Biden administration will say the plans are designed to protect workers’ rights, it fails to consider the economic contributions independent contractors make to the broader economy and the popularity of this alternative form of employment.