New Hampshire signed a memorandum of understanding to crack down on misclassification of employees as independent contractors, the US Department of Labor reported yesterday.

New Hampshire is the 17th state to sign a memorandum of understanding with the DOL as part of its misclassification initiative. Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New York, Utah and Washington state agencies have signed similar agreements.

“Working with the states is an important tool for ending misclassification and other workplace abuses,” said Solicitor of Labor of the US Department of Labor M. Patricia Smith. “These collaborations allow us to better coordinate and ensure compliance with both federal and state laws alike.”