An “occupational license” is, put simply, government permission to work in a particular field. To earn the license, an aspiring worker must clear various hurdles, such as earning a certain amount of education or training or passing an exam. In the 1950s, only one in 20 U.S. workers needed the government’s permission to pursue their chosen occupation. Today, that figure stands at almost one in four.
Every American deserves the opportunity to earn an honest living. Yet occupational licenses, routinely stand in the way of honest enterprise. Without these licenses, workers can face stiff fines or even risk jail time.
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The data and information here come from IJ’s License to Work report, released in November 2022.
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