FTC & DOJ Hold Virtual Workshop On Competition In Labor Markets

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division will host a virtual workshop on December 6 and 7 to discuss efforts to promote competitive labor markets and worker mobility, they announced in a press release.

“Making Competition Work: Promoting Competition in Labor Markets,” will bring together lawyers, economists, academics, policy experts, labor groups, and workers, and will explore recent developments at the intersection of antitrust and labor, as well as implications for efforts to protect and empower workers through competition enforcement and rulemaking.  

Over the two days, a series of panels, presentations, and remarks will address competition issues affecting labor markets and the welfare of workers, including: labor monopsony; the increased use of restrictive contractual clauses in labor agreements, including non-competes and non-disclosure agreements; information sharing and benchmarking activity among competing employers; the role of other federal agencies in ensuring fair competition in labor markets; and the relationship between antitrust law and collective bargaining efforts in the “gig economy.”  

Panelists will be invited to discuss potential steps antitrust enforcers can take to better target enforcement resources, improve public guidance, and pursue a “whole of government” approach to ensuring fair competition for workers and consumers by leveraging interagency resources.

The FTC and the DOJ Antitrust Division invite comments from the public on the topics covered by this workshop. Interested parties may submit public comments online now through December 20, 2021, at Regulations.gov.