A New York state Department of Labor administrative law judge has ruled that three Uber drivers and others in New York City who are "similarly situated" are considered employees under state law and entitled to unemployment benefits

The ruling by Michelle Burrowes upheld a state labor department decision last year that the ride-hailing giant can't consider its drivers independent contractors, and are required to provide unemployment insurance for the three drivers for an Uber black-car subsidiary, Levon Aleksanian, Jeffrey Shepherd and Jakir Hossain, as well as those who are "similarly situated" in New York City.

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Didn't employ an 'arm's length approach'

"Uber did not employ an arm's-length approach to the claimants as would typify an independent contractor arrangement," Burrowes wrote June 9.

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Josefa Velasquez

Josefa Velasquez is a regulatory and Court of Appeals reporter for the New York Law Journal based in Albany, N.Y. Contact Josefa Velasquez at [email protected]. Twitter: @j__velasquez