Author: Morris M. Kleiner

Publisher: W.E. Upjohn Institute

Published: 2013-10-01

Total Pages: 223

ISBN-13: 0880994614

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} Occupational regulation in the U.S. labor market is a growing phenomenon. As of 2008, nearly 40 percent of individuals in jobs had either a license or certification from some form of local, state, or federal government . Following up on the success of his previous volume, Licensing Occupations: Ensuring Quality or Restricting Competition? (W.E. Upjohn Institute, 2006), Morris M. Kleiner brings us a book that expands our knowledge of occupational regulation by showing how varying stages of regulation impact those in the occupations, closely related occupational practitioners, and, ultimately, consumers through the quality and cost of services provided. In Stages of Occupational Regulation: Analysis of Case Studies, Kleiner examines seven occupations at various stages of government regulation. From the least regulated to the most regulated, they are: interior designers, mortgage brokers, preschool teachers, construction tradesmen—specifically plumbers and electricians—dental hygienists, and dentists. Kleiner shows that occupations that have been regulated for the shortest periods of time and that have minimal entry requirements, such as interior designers, are usually unable to achieve their economic goals of better compensation and less competition. For more heavily regulated occupations that have a longer history of regulation and have more rigorous entry requirements, such as dentists, higher earnings and greater control over job-related tasks are more likely. The book also presents new analysis on a long-standing debate in law and economics—i.e., whether litigation or regulation is better for society. Kleiner shows that the growth of occupational licensing suggests that some form of regulation may be gaining as the dominant type of public policy. Furthermore, Kleiner examines how regulations may influence the number of workplace injuries and deaths incurred by plumbers and electricians in the construction industry—the most hazardous industry, as determined by the total number of workplace accidents in the United States. Overall, the analysis and evidence presented here demonstrate how labor markets work in the face of varying levels of government regulation. Therefore, this is a must-read for anyone with an interest in the workings of the U.S. labor market or of labor markets in other more-developed economies.