A US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule that would have banned the majority of non-compete agreements has been barred in federal court, meaning it will not go into effect on 4 September as expected.

Texas federal court Judge Ada Brown, a President Donald Trump appointee, ruled that the FTC did not have the authority to issue such a broad rule, which would have prohibited employers from enforcing most existing non-competes, as well as ban them from inclusion in future contracts.