Hope for Some Sanity on Licensing Reform

Hope for Some Sanity on Licensing Reform

Last month, the new Federal Trade Commission chairman Andrew Ferguson announced a new task force aimed at investigating behavior that harms workers. Although much of the focus seemed like a retread from previous chair Lina Khan, a renewed scrutiny of occupational licensing is welcome news. Occupational licensing directly affects more than one in five workers, but costs all of us in terms of less choice, higher prices, and reduced service innovat…

How Occupational Licensing Impacts Employment Rates

How Occupational Licensing Impacts Employment Rates Economist Edward Timmons joins the Cause and Effect podcast on April 9 to discuss the impacts of occupational licensing on job access and wages, along with economic mobility. He says occupational licensing discourages employment, with some research showing occupational licensing decreasing employment by 29%. He also explains universal recognition laws, designed to support licensing professional…