I think the word you're looking for is "hypothesis".
For example, a hypothesis could be "dogs drink more often when owners are present".
And then this can be proven (or dis-proven) by an observation (or in this case rather: measurement).
Answer: a. Companies do not have to pay any benefits or unemployment compensation to workers
Explanation:
Independent contractors are in charge of paying their own taxes and benefits, unlike employees whose employers must provide benefits like compensation, unemployment, and health insurance. By misclassifying their workers as independent contractors, companies such as Uber, Lyft, and Amazon are avoiding legal responsibility for those benefits to save money, but that´s against the law and they could be penalized.
Answer:
It has greatly increased but leveled off in recent years
Explanation:
