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Occupational Licensing

Why Do So Many Jobs Require a License?

Becoming a taxidermist or hair braider shouldn't involve costly hurdles.

Andrew Heaton | 8.22.2025 10:00 AM

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Around 20 percent of American workers must hold a professional license to do their job. Why? 

Andrew Heaton has an answer. And it's infuriating.

NEXT: Why Does the Government Run Air Traffic Control?

Andrew Heaton is a producer at Reason. He is the author of, most recently, Tribalism Is Dumb: Where It Came From, How It Got so Bad, and What To Do About It.

Occupational LicensingComedyProtectionismJobsCompetitionRegulationGovernment
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