The Department of Labor's opinion came in a letter to a virtual marketplace company that operates in the "sharing" economy.
The proposal would make more than 1 million workers eligible for benefits.
The labor market showed renewed strength in June, with nonfarm payrolls rising by 222,000 jobs.
Energy costs, especially the price of wholesale gasoline, dragged down the producer price index in May.
The Labor Department exceeded its authority in raising the minimum salary level for overtime eligibility, a Texas judge rules.
Nearly a quarter of U.S. workers did some or all of their work from home last year, the Labor Department says.
DoL's new "conflict of interest rule" for plan advisers may be good news for sponsors of small 401(k) plans, but will it drive up fees?
Core consumer prices increased 0.4% in May, pushed up by high rents for primary residences, said the Labor Department.
Employers have some decisions to make to comply with the new DoL regulation that raises the salary threshold for overtime pay.
Employers in hazardous industries will have their worker injury records posted on OSHA's website.
Inflation pressures remained modest, despite a 2.2%, 12-month increase in core prices.
While nonfarm payrolls rose by 215,000 last month, the gain was likely not strong enough to ignite inflation fears.
