We analyze the impact of occupational deregulation on the wages of licensed workers. To do so, we exploit a deregulation policy in the German craft sector that removed the master certificate as a requirement for starting a business in about half of the craft occupations. Specifically, we examine...

This paper estimates the impact of occupational licensing at the extensive margin (existence) and intensive margin (qualifications) on the occupational mobility of US workers. Using 2015-2022 Current Population Survey data on worker occupational choices matched to licensing-policy data, I show...

There is a consensus that there is an earnings premium for licensed workers relative to unlicensed workers. However, little is known about how occupational licensing affects earnings inequality. In this paper, we study dynamic, heterogeneous earnings effects of occupational licensing and draw...

Occupational regulation is a labor market institution that has received a growing amount of attention by researchers. Existing research has explored the effects of occupational regulation on wages and employment. To the best of our knowledge, no existing study has estimated the effect of...

We examine the labor market impact of states easing occupational license requirements by expanding the scope of practice (SOP) for nurse practitioners (NPs), allowing them to practice without physician oversight. Using data on job postings, we find that employers increase their demand for NPs...

We study how licensing, certification and unionisation affect the wages of natives and migrants and their representation among licensed, certified, and unionized workers. We provide evidence of a dual role of labor market institutions, which both screen workers based on unobservable...

"Occupational licensure, including regulation of the professions, dates back to the medieval period. While the guilds that performed this regulatory function have long since vanished, professional regulation continues to this day. For instance, in the United States, 22 percent of American...

We examined the recent occupational regulation changes in China and their labor market impacts. Using data from the China Labor-Force Dynamic Survey (CLDS) from 2014 to 2018, we found an earning premium of approximately 10 percent, as well as more employment-based benefits, for those with an...

We study how licensing, certification and unionisation affect the wages of natives and migrants and their representation among licensed, certified, and unionized workers. We provide evidence of a dual role of labor market institutions, which both screen workers based on unobservable...

Concerned about the low academic ability of public school teachers, in the 1990s and 2000s, some states increased licensing stringency to weed out low-quality candidates, while others decreased restrictions to attract high-quality candidates. We offer a theoretical model justifying both...

Chapter 1: Introduction -- Chapter 2: Can Deregulating the Legal Industry: Significantly Benefit American Society? -- Chapter 3: Is Deregulating the Medical Profession Just What the Doctor Ordered? -- Chapter 4: Balancing Flexibility and Integrity: Reforming Licensing in Accounting and Financial...

The regulation of occupations is widespread, extending beyond the liberal professions, such as lawyers and engineers, to a broader set of other economic activities. Competition authorities have long been active in improving competition in these markets, both through enforcement action and by...

This paper attempts to measure the effect of occupational licensing, restrictions on reciprocity, location specific investment in reputation and earnings on the interstate mobility of professionals. While 34 professional occupations are analyzed, special attention is focused on the legal...

The COVID‐19 pandemic has led to temporary suspensions of many occupational licensing laws, especially for health care professionals, in an effort to manage surges in health care demand. The crisis highlights more general concerns about occupational licensing laws, yet convincing empirical...

Dealing with social problems has always been one of the core tasks of social work. But where are its limits and possibilities? In social work, the emergence and transformation of social assistance is analyzed from different perspectives. Using empirical examples, the volume examines the tension...

We analyze how the legal enforceability of noncompete agreements (NCAs) affects labor markets. Using newly-constructed panel data, we find that higher NCA enforceability diminishes workers' earnings and job mobility, with larger effects among workers most likely to sign NCAs. These effects are...

Many states have recently changed their scope of practice laws and granted full practice authority to nurse practitioners, allowing them to practice without oversight from physicians. Physician groups have argued against this change, citing patient safety concerns. In this paper, we use a...

We show that occupational licensing has significant negative effects on labor market fluidity defined as cross-occupation mobility. Using a balanced panel of workers constructed from the CPS and SIPP data, we analyze the link between occupational licensing and labor market outcomes. We find that...

Large variation in the estimated income premium of occupational licensing can be found in the existing literature. I revisit the natural experimental design of a change in the German crafts regulation in 2004, which removed the traditional licensing requirement for self-employment in certain...

Concerned about the low academic ability of public school teachers, in the 1990s and 2000s, some states increased licensing stringency to weed out low-quality candidates, while others decreased restrictions to attract high-quality candidates. We offer a theoretical model justifying both...

Economic theory suggests that occupational licensing can be a barrier to entry that restricts labor supply (Friedman, 1962; Stigler, 1971) or a signal of quality that enhances the labor market (Leland, 1979). This paper studies two types of licenses for one occupation – dental assistant (DA) –...

This chapter proceeds as follows. Section I begins with the background and recent history of the state action doctrine and its relation to occupational licensure, addressing the recent cases listed above. Section II discusses recent and current litigation involving competitors using the...

We use a newly produced data set on growth in occupational licensing of low-income occupations to estimate the relationship between growth in occupational licensing and intergenerational mobility. Our empirical results suggest growth in state licensing is associated with a 1.6% to 6.2% reduction...

I examine the effects of occupational licensing on the quality of Certified Public Accountants (CPAs). I exploit the staggered adoption of the 150-hour rule, which increased the educational requirements for a CPA license. My analysis shows that the rule reduces the number of entrants into the...

While often advanced as a means to protect consumers, occupational licensing is increasingly being recognized as a barrier to entry that benefits the licensed industry to the detriment of consumers. Furthermore, it often restricts economic mobility, especially among minority groups. Given that...