Labor Secretary Aims at Professional Licensing Deregulation

Speaking in Denver about apprenticeships, Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta pointed to licensing requirements as a barrier to employment that need to be streamlined. He noted that only one in 20 professions in the 1950s required licensing, but today it's one in four. Appearing at the American Legislative Executive Council's annual confab, Acosta noted that “the growth of occupational licensing is part of a nationwide trend where we regulate, and regulate, and regulate.” Acosta and the Department of Labor (DOL) under President Trump are aiming to expand apprenticeships as a gateway to good-paying professions. Acosta added that “excess licensing hinders the American workforce” by creating barriers for workers who have less money; who want to move to another state; or who want “to leverage technology and to expand their job opportunities,” according to Politico.