Occupational Licensing Gone Wild: In Chicago, You Need a License To Help Others Get a License

Great post by Mark Perry of "Carpe Diem."

"NCPA -- "Restrictions on who can and cannot practice a certain profession have increased significantly in recent years (see chart above). Occupational licensing — the most onerous restriction — requires people to pass tests and meet other criteria before they can practice a trade. It is a barrier to employment, disproportionately affecting low-income and immigrant workers, and frequently benefiting established practitioners by limiting competition from new entrants.

Many jobs could be performed by unlicensed individuals at a lower cost, without sacrificing safety or quality. Licensing decreases the rate of job growth by an average of 20 percent and costs the economy an estimated $34.8 billion to $41.7 billion per year, in 2000 dollars,
reports the Reason Foundation."

MP: Here's how we know that occupational licensing has gone too far in America:

In Chicago (since 2009), you need an official "expediters license" to help other people fill out paperwork to get a different city license (or a city permit or certificate). In other words, the occupational licensing process has gotten so complicated and time-consuming, that you need to hire a expediter to help you get a license to operate a business, and that expediter needs a license to help you get a license..... Kinda makes your head spin...."