Competition issues in labour markets

Competition authorities globally are increasingly investigating concerns in labour markets.  Having started in the US and Canada, this trend has since spread to Europe where a number of authorities have launched investigations. 

Ian Giles and Richard Whish KC discuss why authorities are interested in labour markets and the competition law issues that can arise in this area, including no poach agreements, wage fixing and information sharing concerns. 

Their discussion includes a particular focus on developments in the UK, where the CMA has a number of cases and has published guidance to help businesses comply, while the CMA’s Microeconomics Unit also recently prepared a detailed research report on competition and market power in UK labour markets.

Watch more from the series