"For nonunion workers, the only leverage they have is their ability to quit their job," Shierholz told CBS MoneyWatch.
The final rule adopted "would generally prevent most employers from using noncompete clauses," the FTC said in a statement.
The president's executive order urged the FTC to target such labor restrictions and others that improperly constrain employees from seeking work.
An estimated 30 million people — or one in five U.S. workers — are bound by noncompete restrictions, according to the FTC.
In laying out its rationale for banishing noncompetes from the labor landscape, the FTC offered real-life examples of how the agreements can hurt workers.
In another example, a factory manager at a textile company saw his paycheck dry up after the 2008 financial crisis.
A rival textile company offered him a better job and a big raise, but his noncompete blocked him from taking it, according to the FTC. »
