On June 21, 2023, the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis issued a report entitled “New data on non-compete contracts and what they mean for workers” that calls into question the assumptions made by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in its recent rulemaking efforts.[1]
The report begins by stating what we have been saying for a long time: that “relatively little survey evidence [is] available” about the actual effect of noncompetes on workers. In other words, it is not that there is substantial evidence that noncompetes help workers (although there are studies showing that they can in certain circumstances), but rather that the data is slim and, contrary to what the FTC and the media might lead the public to believe, there is likewise not settled evidence that noncompetes harm workers. As the Minnesota Fed points out, “[t]he recent explosion of public discussion about non-competes has made clear the need for better and more systematic data collection.”
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Recent Updates
- Georgia Supreme Court Allows for Employee Non-Solicitation Agreements That Lack Express Geographic Limits
- Continued Employment May Constitute Sufficient Consideration for Noncompete Agreements in Connecticut, but Uncertainty Remains
- What the FTC Non-Compete Ban Block Means for Employers - Employment Law This Week Video
- Texas Court Shoots Down FTC Noncompete Ban Nationwide
- Florida Court Joins Texas Court in Granting Preliminary Injunction Against FTC’s Final Rule Banning Noncompetes, but Limits Scope of Injunction to Named Plaintiff