An opinion piece published on governing.com highlights recent economic research on occupational licensure as a counter to the argument for "downgrading" professional licensure. The research from Oxford Economics and the Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing shows that licensure is associated with 6.5% higher wages on average and that licensure narrows the gender wage gap by one-third and the racial wage gap by one-half in fields requiring advanced education and training. The article makes a distinction between occupational licensing and professional licensing, urging that one size does not fit all for licensing reform.
March 23, 2022
