The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced its withdrawal from a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the National Labor Relations Board that called for the agencies to cooperate when investigating the impact that mergers and acquisitions have on labor markets.

The MOU was announced on August 28, 2024, and touted the agencies’ efforts to safeguard competition in the labor market by sharing information and participating in joint staff training sessions and meetings on labor issues.

The FTC did not announce a reason for its withdrawal from the MOU. However, the FTC affirmatively stated that “[t]he agency will continue to closely scrutinize all issues related to mergers, including potential impacts on labor, in accordance with its merger guidelines.” In other words, despite the FTC’s withdrawal from the MOU, it does not seem to be backing away from its focus on labor markets.

For additional information regarding the FTC’s withdrawal from the MOU, see the latest episode of Employment Law This Week^®.