Rachel Wallen Oglesby ,
July 1, 2024
Indiana Workers Need Universal Licensing Recognition
Key Takeaways
Nearly 1 in five workers in Indiana are forced to seek permission from the government through an occupational license to work in their desired field.
In Indiana, workers, on average, spend 306 days and $162 to earn their license.
License restrictions in Indiana cost the economy $2.7 billion and nearly 31,000 jobs.
Indiana has an extreme labor shortage, with only 72 available workers for every 100 open jobs.
Universal licensing recognition would make occupational licenses portable across state lines, allowing workers to move to Indiana and get right back to work.
25 other states have implemented universal licensing recognition laws to allow workers to transfer occupational licenses across states (as of 2024).
OCCUPATIONAL lICENSING IS A BARRIER TO EMPLOYMENT IN INDIANA
5 BENEFITS OF UNIVERSAL LICENSING RECOGNITION
- Increased Mobility: States that have passed universal recognition have experienced a nearly 50% increase in interstate migration among those with low portability licenses.
- Stronger Workforce: When states enact universal licensing recognition, they experience increased labor market participation and lower unemployment. Workers have more incentive to invest in their own skills, and there is no evidence of a decline in worker quality or customer satisfaction.
- Enhanced Business Environment: Greater portability of occupational licenses makes it easier for businesses to attract workers, which fosters greater entrepreneurship.
- More Growth, Bigger Paychecks: Enhanced economic dynamism brings about higher productivity and paycheck-enhancing economic growth.
- Improved Affordability: Universal licensing recognition can mitigate the excessive licensing rules that currently cost consumers more than $200 billion annually in the form of higher prices.