In this paper, we analyze the development of occupational regulation of massage therapists (MTs) in the United States and the effects of state licensing and certification upon their earnings and numbers. Our results suggest that MTs working in states with licensing receive an earnings premium of...

Occupational licensing in the US has grown rapidly in recent decades. Over most of this period, there has been little concern over, and scant legislative attention directed to, this phenomenon. Recently, however, concerns have arisen about the extent, the costs, and the job-destroying nature...