California Governor Asks Gig Companies to Hand Over Wage Data

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said platform economy companies still must provide wage data to the state’s employment department, despite funding in the federal Covid-19 package that sets aside money for gig workers hurt by the pandemic.

Newsom said Wednesday that the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program in the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act doesn’t preclude companies from classifying their workers as employees, not independent contractors, under the state’s A.B. 5 law.

“Not all of those employers are paying into unemployment insurance,” Newsom said at his daily teleconference on the Covid-19 pandemic. “I just want folks to ...