An occupational license is essentially a government permission slip to do certain work. In Alabama, before one can become a hair braider, cosmetologist, shampooer, massage therapist, auctioneer, pest control worker, [...]
This study provides an important contribution to the literature on U.S. absolute economic mobility and income inequality. The potential of occupational licensing to influence labor opportunities, economic mobility, and income [...]
By exploiting state-level variations in mortgage broker licensing regulations, we examine how licensing requirements affect mortgage loan performances and the mortgage origination market. Using data on private label securitized loans, [...]
The costs of failing a licensing exam, for example, in dentistry is the estimated present value cost of failing the exam, which was $54,000 in 1997 dollars when reduced earnings [...]
Given the growth in occupational licensure and the importance of barriers to entry for low-income workers, we analyzed the effect of barber licensure on the number of barber shops across [...]
To see whether floral arrangements for sale in Louisiana are indeed appreciably superior to — or even appreciably different from — those made by unlicensed florists, I conducted a randomized [...]
This paper studies the real estate brokerage industry in Greater Boston, an industry with low entry barriers and substantial turnover. Using a comprehensive dataset of agents and transactions from 1998-2007, [...]
Most previous work on occupational licensing has been concerned with effects on consumers. Proponents of licensing contend that the public may benefit from regulations that assure minimum quality. However, many [...]
This paper develops a model of the economic impact of occupational licensure. The model is then used to estimate the effects of occupational licensure on wages and the division of [...]
This article will show that government action in times of crisis is often inconsistent with its rhetoric. Licensing is typically justified on the grounds that market mechanisms will not mitigate [...]