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How Much of Barrier to Entry is Occupational Licensing?

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  • Peter Q. Blair
  • Bobby W. Chung

Abstract

We exploit state variation in licensing laws to study the effect of licensing on occupational choice using a boundary discontinuity design. We find that licensing reduces equilibrium labour supply by an average of 17–27 per cent.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Q. Blair & Bobby W. Chung, 2019. "How Much of Barrier to Entry is Occupational Licensing?," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 57(4), pages 919-943, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:brjirl:v:57:y:2019:i:4:p:919-943
    DOI: 10.1111/bjir.12470
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    11. Marc T. Law & Mindy S. Marks, 2009. "Effects of Occupational Licensing Laws on Minorities: Evidence from the Progressive Era," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 52(2), pages 351-366, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Bruhn, Jesse & Imberman, Scott & Winters, Marcus, 2022. "Regulatory arbitrage in teacher hiring and retention: Evidence from Massachusetts Charter Schools," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 215(C).
    2. Kihwan Bae & Edward Timmons, 2023. "Now You Can Take It with You: Effects of Occupational Credential Recognition on Labor Market Outcomes," Working Papers 23-03, Department of Economics, West Virginia University.
    3. Dodini, Samuel, 2023. "The spillover effects of labor regulations on the structure of earnings and employment: Evidence from occupational licensing," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 225(C).
    4. Ben Posmanick & Alex Obie & Bobby Chung, 2024. "Licensed Professionals and Corporate Board Performance: The Effect of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act on the Audit Committee," Working Papers 2024-03, University of South Florida, Department of Economics.
    5. Alicia Plemmons, 2022. "Occupational licensing's effects on firm location and employment in the United States," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 60(4), pages 735-760, December.
    6. Georgellis, Yannis & Clark, Andrew E. & Apergis, Emmanuel & Robinson, Catherine, 2022. "Occupational status and life satisfaction in the UK: The miserable middle?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 509-527.
    7. Morris M. Kleiner & Evan J. Soltas, 2019. "A Welfare Analysis of Occupational Licensing in U.S. States," NBER Working Papers 26383, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Xia, Xing, 2021. "Barrier to Entry or Signal of Quality? The Effects of Occupational Licensing on Minority Dental Assistants," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    9. Chung, Bobby W., 2022. "The costs and potential benefits of occupational licensing: A case of real estate license reform," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    10. Ilya Kukaev & Edward J. Timmons, 2023. "Certifiably employable?: The effects of occupational regulation on unemployment duration," Working Papers 23-02, Department of Economics, West Virginia University.
    11. Chambers, Dustin & O'Reilly, Colin, 2022. "Regulation and income inequality in the United States," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    12. Dustin Chambers & Colin O’Reilly, 2022. "The economic theory of regulation and inequality," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 193(1), pages 63-78, October.
    13. Noghanibehambari, Hamid & Fletcher, Jason, 2023. "Long-Term Health Benefits of Occupational Licensing: Evidence from Midwifery Laws," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    14. Peter Q. Blair & Mischa Fisher, 2022. "Does Occupational Licensing Reduce Value Creation on Digital Platforms?," NBER Working Papers 30388, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    15. Noah J. Trudeau, 2021. "Occupational Licensing and Intra-MSA Effects: Massage Therapists in the US," Working Papers 21-03, Department of Economics, West Virginia University.
    16. Shishir Shakya & Alicia Plemmons & Conor Norris, 2024. "Military Spouse Licensing: A Case Study of Registered Nurses within Military Bases Proximity," Working Papers 24-09, Department of Economics, Appalachian State University.
    17. Bobby W. Chung, 2024. "Effects of occupational license access on undocumented immigrants evidence from the California reform," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 65(1), pages 64-83, June.
    18. Yelowitz, Aaron & Ingram, Samuel J., 2021. "How Does Occupational Licensing Affect Entry into the Medical Field? An Examination of EMTs," IZA Discussion Papers 14071, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    19. Massimiliano Tani, 2021. "Occupational Licensing and the Skills Mismatch of Highly Educated Migrants," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 59(3), pages 730-756, September.
    20. Morris M. Kleiner & Evan J. Soltas, 2019. "A Welfare Analysis of Occupational Licensing in U.S. States," Staff Report 590, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
    21. Morris M. Kleiner & Edward J. Timmons, 2020. "Occupational Licensing: Improving Access to Regulatory Information," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 41(4), pages 333-337, December.
    22. Brian Meehan & E. Frank Stephenson, 2020. "Reducing a Barrier to Entry: The 120/150 CPA Licensing Rule," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 41(4), pages 382-402, December.
    23. Busso, Matias & Montaño, Sebastián & Muñoz-Morales, Juan S., 2023. "Signaling Specific Skills and the Labor Market of College Graduates," IZA Discussion Papers 16449, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • K23 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Regulated Industries and Administrative Law
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation

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