Occupational licensing

Occupational licensing is the process of obtaining permission from a government to practice a profession or trade. According to S. David Young, "today at least a fifth, and perhaps as much as a third, of the work force is directly affected by licensing laws" in the United States. Library of Economics and Liberty article on occupational licensing

According to Morris Kleiner: "Occupational licensing has either no impact or even a negative impact on the quality of services provided to customers by members of the regulated occupation. Additionally, as occupations become licensed, members of regulated occupations see their earnings go up." A Primer on Occupational Licensing from the Institute for Justice