, Columnist
Obama Sees the Light on Job Licenses
Both parties can agree: Red tape hurts workers and consumers.
No license needed.
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Areas where Republicans and Democrats can cooperate to advance the common good are few and far between these days, in case you haven't noticed. So the White House deserves credit for issuing a new report that focuses on one such area: the reform of occupational-licensing laws that restrict job opportunities and raise prices.
Licensing requirements have grown a lot over the years. In the 1950s, fewer than 5 percent of jobs required licenses; by 2008, 29 percent did. Two-thirds of this growth, the White House report concludes, is the result of increased regulation (rather than of more people going into fields that already required licenses).