11 Reasons Unemployment Is So Freaking High

Former Reason intern Nick Sibilla has a great piece up at Buzzfeed. It's an annoying, GIF-filled tour on really stupid and unnecessary licensing laws on jobs such as eyebrow threading, guiding tours, floral arrangement, and tree trimming.

Do these occupations require training? Absolutely. But do they require massive licensing systems that serve only to limit the number of service providers to benefit existing businesses? No way.

As Sibilla notes,

Today, one out of every three Americans needs a license from the government before they can legally work. Back in the 1950s, it was only one out of every 20 workers. 

Read the whole thing.

He also links to a pretty great video on the topic from the Institute for Justice, the libertarian public-interest law firm that fights dumb licensing laws wherever they find them (and where Sibilla hangs his hat these days). Watch that now.

Comments

[Brett L]

It's an annoying, GIF-filled tour on really stupid and unnecessary licensing laws on jobs such as eyebrow threading, guiding tours, floral arrangement, and tree trimming.

Buzzfeed gonna buzzfeed.

[LiveFreeOrDiet]

and tree trimming.
Buzzfeed gonna buzzfeed.

Damn, for the last three weeks I've been trimming trees without a license?!

[Suthenboy]

And yet, nearly anyone, without any kind of training or a license, can be a legislator.

[Hugh Akston]

I like to think of Congress as America's commitment to helping adults with developmental disabilities.

[Warty]

I expected lots of hate in the comments. Instead, they're all supportive, including the delightfully insane one. Maybe there's hope for the incredibly stupid kids these days after all.

Roberta Robinson ? Top Commenter
license means being able to do of which if you did not have it would be illegal, not unlawful, but illegal, basically we are all be forced to abide by terms and conditions of invisible contracts we did not sign on ot or even know about, I would call this constructive fraud. basically legal precepts are simply ways to get around the law/circumvent it, so they pretend that your a slave/corporation which has waived your rights and accept priveleges for benefits you never really aquire they pretend you are benefitting from some contractural benefit and charge you accordingly, they pretend you make income profits simply from equal trade, that your driving when your traveling because they pretend any activity you benefit from regardless that your actually involved in commercial activity requiring licenses and permits to so do, they ha...See More
Reply ? ? 2 ? 6 hours ago

[SweatingGin]

license means being able to do of which if you did not have it would be illegal, not unlawful, but illegal, basically we are all be forced to abide by terms and conditions of invisible contracts we did not sign on ot or even know about

Ow, my brain.

[Jordan]

It's like a bizarro Alice Bowie who uses her powers of retardation for good.

[Clich? Bandit]

you owe me a new keyboard

[Sudden]

i have not had time to read most articles or comments today, but having just seen this, I know I got to the best one.

[widget]

Can anyone here replace the motherboard on a standard Limitorque valve actuator in less than 8 weeks?

There are only 4 (four) screws that hold the housing to the actuator, but you'll need an allen wrench to unwind them. Then you'll need a replacement circuit board.

Four (4) hours on the phone yesterday and I found 1 (one) person in the western United States who would even entertain this.

I would do it myself, but I am not allowed to buy the circuit board myself. Supply chain mumbo jumbo.

It's not always that bad, but wrapping your head around this you'd realize the entire US military couldn't fight off one Panzer tank with a supply chain.

[OneOut]

no(no)

[RannedPall]

Just shared this article on my Facebook, now to see if the usual prog buzzfeeders come a runnin.

[JW]

Gooddamnfuckinghell Nick. I went to Buzzfeed, only for a few seconds, to see if I could tolerate the buzztardation for a worthwhile article, and I couldn't take it. My eyes are still twitching from all the fucking gifs.

And now I hate myself for even trying.

[PaulW]

As a licensed engineer, I wonder what other libertarians think about the idea of licensing for specialized skills such as for engineers and doctors?

I'm kind of ambivalent about it. Personally, I think private licensing societies that are not tied to the government are the better choice in every circumstance. Licensing has its purpose, such as ensuring that someone who claims to be something actually is that something. Government, like always, does a terrible job with that.

[JWatts]

"licensed engineer"

I assume you mean a PE? If so, generally speaking, a PE is not a mandated license. You don't need a PE for most engineering tasks and indeed don't qualify to even obtain one until you've been a practicing engineer for 5 years.

[PaulW]

It depends on the state, but no, actually, for the type of engineer I am, the federal government has the only say. (I'm a marine engineer, or more specifically a ship's engineer)

You are correct though that most tasks do not need a license, but do at least need a licensed person to supervise.

[RishJoMo]

Yep, that actually makes a LOt of sense dude.

http://www.GotsDatAnon.tk