Occupational licensing is the most strenuous form of labor market regulation. It requires a person to obtain a government permission slip to work. To obtain this permission slip, individuals must often complete minimum levels of training, pay fees, and complete an exam before being allowed to perform a job or vocation. The intended goal of these licenses is to ensure public health, safety, and welfare by mandating quality standards in a profession. However, the reality is that licensing limits or prevents competition among individuals in an industry and artificially inflates licensed workers’ wages at the expense of consumers and potential entrants.
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