On September 4, a new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule was set to take effect that would ban non-compete clauses. America was a few weeks away from a world where no employer could restrict employees from taking a job with a competitor, but that didn’t happen. On Tuesday, a federal judge blocked the ban from taking place.

A federal judge in Texas blocked the Federal Trade Commission's ban on non-compete clauses and other rules related to unfair methods of competition.

A Texas federal court Aug. 20 ruled set aside the Federal Trade Commission’s Non-Compete Clause Final Rule. U.S. District Judge Ada Brown held the FTC lacked the authority to enact the rule, which would ban,

The case challenging a ban on the restrictive employee agreements is one of many, multiplying attacks on the authority of federal agencies to regulate many aspects of business.

A judge in Texas blocked a new rule from the FTC that would have made it easier for employees to quit and work for a rival.

For decades, noncompete employment agreements have prevented all sorts of workers — doctors, engineers, even hair stylists — from easily switching jobs. That was set to change in early September after the US Federal Trade Commission approved a near-total ban on such provisions,