Any civil matter can also be regulated (regulations can apply to anything, really). But in a practical sense, regulations pertaining to business and professions

Any civil matter can also be regulated (regulations can apply to anything, really). But in a practical sense, regulations pertaining to business and professions like this are handled by the states, while the feds really only get into it when it's a matter of worker safety, taxation, those kinds of things. This is why you can laugh at a noncompete in California, while up in Washington, Microsoft gets to own its employees' dreams for years after they leave the company. Non-competes are so unbelievably worker-hostile that they should really be outlawed everywhere. I really like the idea of forcing the employer who's enforcing the non-compete to pay full salary for the duration of the non-compete. It seems only fair that if you're trying to keep me off the market because I'm so potentially devastating to your business that you should pay for the privilege.