Uber, Lyft Drivers Eligible for Jobless Aid Under New Law (1)

Drivers for ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft can qualify for emergency unemployment insurance if the Covid-19 pandemic forces them off the road, the Labor Department said.

The DOL issued guidance Sunday night to establish a new category of eligible claimants for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, a program created under the $2 trillion coronavirus-relief law to extend benefits to various groups of workers who otherwise would be excluded from jobless aid. The guidance addressed a key area of confusion in recent weeks by specifying that independent contractors, such as workers for ride-sharing companies and other gig-economy platforms, can be reimbursed for ...