
According to Bloomberg Law, the US DOJ is pursuing allegations that companies and executives moved to fix wages or limit worker mobility as criminal rather than civil matters, an emerging strategy poised to test the legal bounds of antitrust enforcement in labor markets.
The previously untested approach is gaining traction now that a Texas federal court, in November, denied an attempt to halt an indictment against an executive and a director of a physical therapy staffing-agency who are accused of colluding with competitors to suppress wages. It marked the first time a criminal case of its kind was allowed to move forward.
A few weeks later, the Justice Department indicted a former executive at aircraft-engine maker Pratt & Whitney for agreeing to not hire competitors’ employees, adding to the string of labor cases brought since late 2020 in at least five courts.
The increasing use of criminal charges puts executives in industries such as health care, engineering and technology at risk of jail time, and marks a new era in a Justice Department effort that began under President Barack Obama and continued through the Trump administration into President Joe Biden’s.
Department officials told Bloomberg Law that the agency expects multiple indictments for alleged criminal conspiracies in labor markets in the coming year and beyond, stemming from investigations across a variety of industries.
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
University of Kentucky Eyes Structural Shift Amid Antitrust Pressures
Apr 24, 2025 by
CPI
Opt-Out Flops Out At WIPO Meeting on AI and IP
Apr 24, 2025 by
CPI
Belgian Watchdog Fines Pharma Giants Over Anti-Competitive Practices in Pharmacies
Apr 24, 2025 by
CPI
X Sues Minnesota Over Law Banning AI Deepfakes in Elections
Apr 24, 2025 by
CPI
Twelve States Sue Trump Over Tariff Policy, Citing Overreach of Executive Power
Apr 24, 2025 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Mergers in Digital Markets
Apr 21, 2025 by
CPI
Catching a Killer? Six “Genetic Markers” to Assess Nascent Competitor Acquisitions
Apr 21, 2025 by
John Taladay & Christine Ryu-Naya
Digital Decoded: Is There More Scope for Digital Mergers In 2025?
Apr 21, 2025 by
Colin Raftery, Michele Davis, Sarah Jensen & Martin Dickson
AI In the Mix – An Ever-Evolving Approach to Jurisdiction Over Digital Mergers in Europe
Apr 21, 2025 by
Ingrid Vandenborre & Ketevan Zukakishvili
Antitrust Enforcement Errors Due to a Failure to Understand Organizational Capabilities and Dynamic Competition
Apr 21, 2025 by
Magdalena Kuyterink & David J. Teece