One of the broadest and most pro-worker initiatives to come out of the Biden administration dropped from a somewhat surprising place Thursday: The Federal Trade Commission proposed a broad ban on noncompete agreements, which companies use to prevent workers from taking jobs with competitors.

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What they’re saying: “These agreements block millions of retail workers, construction workers, and other working folks from taking a better job, getting better pay and benefits, in the same field,” said President Biden in a Cabinet meeting Thursday. He called the rule a win for workers.

• Progressive and pro-labor groups lauded the action: “This will fundamentally change the basic balance of power between employees and employers,” said Sarah Miller, founder of the American Economic Liberties Project, a nonprofit dedicated to battling corporate concentration.

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