Washington, D.C. — Following the reintroduction the Workforce Mobility Act by Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Todd Young (R-IN), a bill that would broadly restrict the use of exploitative noncompete agreements across the economy, the American Economic Liberties Project released the following statement.

“While the Federal Trade Commission’s rule to ban noncompete agreements should be implemented and rigorously defended in court, the Workforce Mobility Act is a meaningful step toward reining in these exploitative contracts through bipartisan legislation,” said Morgan Harper, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the American Economic Liberties Project. “Corporations across the economy weaponize restrictive noncompete clauses to block millions of working people at all income levels — from hairstylists to doctors, corporate executives to franchise workers — from changing jobs, negotiating for better pay, or starting a new business. That’s why nearly 64% of Americans across party lines support banning them. We’re thrilled to see Senators Murphy and Young introduce this bipartisan, pro-business legislation.”

Non-compete agreements are one-sided arrangements that trap employees in lower-paying jobs and restrict their career mobility. They affect professionals at all levels, from corporate executives to franchise workers. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that banning noncompete agreements nationally would increase workers’ earnings by up to $488 billion over the next decade.

Read Economic Liberties’ brief, “Better Wages and Working Conditions,” to learn more here. 

Learn more about Economic Liberties here.

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The American Economic Liberties Project works to ensure America’s system of commerce is structured to advance, rather than undermine, economic liberty, fair commerce, and a secure, inclusive democracy. Economic Liberties believes true economic liberty means entrepreneurs and businesses large and small succeed on the merits of their ideas and hard work; commerce empowers consumers, workers, farmers, and engineers instead of subjecting them to discrimination and abuse from financiers and monopolists; foreign trade arrangements support domestic security and democracy; and wealth is broadly distributed to support equitable political power.