zlacker

> What I'm saying is "take a job with a non-compete or starve" is not a situation in which a worker can make a voluntary choice, [...]

That may or may not be true, but it's not the situation workers are in. Have you looked at unemployment rates in the US recently?

> Not to mention, such agreements are often not stated up front as part of the job description.

Yes, but they are part of the contract that you can read, before you sign.