About this episode

The episode discusses non-compete agreements, their implications for labor economics, and the balance between protecting company investments and worker mobility.

This episode breaks down what non-compete agreements are and why they’ve become such a hot topic in labor economics. Matt and Jadrian explore when these contracts make sense and when they might go too far. They weigh the trade-offs between protecting company investments and limiting worker mobility, while also digging into recent policy debates and what non-competes mean for innovation and entrepreneurship. In this episode, we talk about: * What non-compete agreements are and why companies use them * Whether it’s reasonable to restrict employees from working for competitors * The fairness (or unfairness) of non-competes after leaving a job * The role of non-competes in limiting job mobility and career growth * State-level bans and the brief FTC attempt to outlaw non-competes nationally * Whether non-competes function similarly to patents in protecting investments If you liked this conversation, you might also enjoy: This Week’s Drinks 🍻 This week featured a couple of solid, no-nonsense beer picks. Jadrian went with a Sam Adams Cold Snap White Ale , a citrusy, spiced brew with clementine and orange peel that paired perfectly with chips and homemade salsa . Matt opted for a…

People in this episode

Hosts: Matt, Jadrian

Topics covered

• non-compete agreements
• labor economics
• worker mobility
• policy debates
• innovation
• entrepreneurship

Keywords

• non-compete agreements
• labor economics
• worker mobility
• policy debates
• innovation
• entrepreneurship
• state-level bans
• patents

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: FTC

Products: Sam Adams Cold Snap White Ale, Founders Centennial IPA, Bitcoin ATMs

More episodes of Economics Happy Hour Podcast

• How Much Do You Know About Basic Money Questions? · April 9, 2026 · 57 min
• How Early Should You Get to the Airport? · March 27, 2026 · 48 min
• Can Prediction Markets Really Predict the Future? · March 12, 2026 · 43 min
• Is Canada Really Poorer Than Alabama? · February 26, 2026 · 42 min
• Can We Experiment Our Way to Better Teaching? · February 12, 2026 · 51 min
• What Billionaires Fear Most · January 29, 2026 · 37 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Economics Happy Hour Podcast podcast page.