- Economics
- US Labor Market
- Answering Challenges to Advanced Economies
Steven Davis speaks to Evan Starr, a leading expert on the economics of noncompete clauses. They discuss the prevalence of noncompete clauses in employment agreements; the pros and cons for employers, workers, and society; where to draw the line in disallowing noncompete clauses; the role of antitrust in policing noncompete clauses; their effects on the pace of innovation; and whether the United States should adopt a national policy on noncompete clauses.
Recorded on March 24, 2026.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Evan Starr is a professor of management & organization at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland. He’s an associate editor at the Strategic Management Journal and previously served as an associate editor at Management Science. He studies issues at the intersection of labor markets, human capital, entrepreneurship, and innovation, with a focus on employer-employee contracting practices. Originally from Claremont, California, Evan earned a BA from Denison University and a PhD in Economics at the University of Michigan.
- Visit Evan Starr's website
Steven Davis is the Thomas W. and Susan B. Ford Senior Fellow and Director of Research at the Hoover Institution, and Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR). He is a research associate of the NBER, IZA research fellow, elected fellow of the Society of Labor Economists, and a consultant to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. He co-founded the Economic Policy Uncertainty project, the U.S. Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes, the Global Survey of Working Arrangements, the Survey of Business Uncertainty, and the Stock Market Jumps project. He also co-organizes the Asian Monetary Policy Forum, held annually in Singapore. Before joining Hoover, Davis was on the faculty at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, serving as both distinguished service professor and deputy dean of the faculty.
RELATED SOURCES
- “The Economics of Noncompete Clauses” by Evan Starr, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2026.
- “Low-Wage Workers and the Enforceability of Noncompete Agreements” by Michael Lipsitz and Evan Starr, Management Science, 2022.
- “The Behavioral Effecs of (Unenforceable) Contracts” by Evan Starr, James Prescott and Normal Bishara, Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, 2020.
ABOUT THE SERIES
Each episode of Economics, Applied, a video podcast series, features senior fellow Steven Davis in conversation with leaders and researchers about economic developments and their ramifications. The goal is to bring evidence and economic reasoning to the table, drawing lessons for individuals, organizations, and society. The podcast also aims to showcase the value of individual initiative, markets, the rule of law, and sound policy in fostering prosperity and security.
For more information, visit hoover.org/podcasts/economics-applied.
