Department of Justice Antitrust Division and Federal Trade Commission to Hold Workshop on Promoting Competition in Labor Markets | OPA

The Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will jointly host a virtual public workshop on Dec. 6 and 7, to discuss efforts to promote competitive labor markets and worker mobility. The workshop will bring together lawyers, economists, academics, policy experts, labor groups and workers, and will cover 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.  

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 Department of Justice and FTC invite comments from the public on the topics covered by this workshop. Interested parties may submit public comments online now through Dec. 20, at https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FTC-2021-0057.

The workshop will be held virtually and webcast on the FTC’s website at FTC.gov. A recording of the workshop will be available on the Antitrust Division’s website and the FTC’s website. An agenda, list of speakers and instructions for accessing the webcast will be available in the near future at https://www.justice.gov/atr/events/public-workshop-promoting-competition-labor-markets.