The Obama Administration Goes After Bad Labor Market Regulations

The Obama administration will take a stab in it’s new budget at important labor market impediment: occupational licensing. Econ blog readers will be familiar with these laws that set frequently overly burdensom rules for who can do certain jobs. They often require far more training than is necessary, expensive classes and tests, and sometimes even degrees before someone can legally do job. While economists have long argued these regulations are a serious problem in need of attention, it's something that gets way too little attention from politicians. But here is what the Obama administration is going to try to do about this: