Business lobby attacks as New York nears a noncompete ban, rare in the US

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A proposed ban on noncompete agreements has come under a fierce attack by business groups in New York. An affiliate of the Business Council of New York launched a $1 million ad campaign last month in an attempt to pressure Gov. Kathy Hochul into rejecting a ban passed by the Legislature in June 2023. Lawmakers voted to have New York join California and some other states in banning noncompete deals, which critics say can trap workers in middling jobs by preventing them from taking their skills elsewhere for better pay. Business groups say the ban shouldn’t apply to certain industries and job levels, like top executives or partners in tech companies or law firms.