Non-Compete Agreements

Non-compete agreements are employment restrictions that limit where workers can work after leaving a job. In The real horror of ‘Alien’ and how it explains why we’re not paid enough, [[ArinDube|Arin Dube]] treats them as a form of Monopsony By Artifice because they reduce worker mobility by rule rather than by natural market geography.

The episode argues that non-competes are not only a trade-secret tool. By naming examples such as fast food and summer camps, it shows how the restriction can reach ordinary workers and strengthen Labor Monopsony by making outside offers less credible.

Connections

• Monopsony By Artifice, Labor Monopsony, and Labor Search Frictions - labor-market power mechanisms.
• No-Poaching Agreements - adjacent restriction on competition for workers.
• Contract Theory / 契约理论 and Information Asymmetry In Contracts / 契约中的信息不对称 - contract branch relevant to worker consent and bargaining.
• Arin Dube / Arindrajit Dube and The Wage Standard - expert and book context.