Guild-Ridden Labor Markets: The Curious Case of Occupational Licensing

摘要

Labor economist Morris M. Kleiner begins the last chapter of his book, Guild-Ridden Labor Markets with this epigraph, no less true now than a century ago. Kleiner's compact volume expertly and efficiently explains the rise of this conspiracy, which he calls "the curious case of occupational licensing," and its effects on consumers, labor markets, and professionals. The upshot is gloomy: professional licensing tends to restrict professional entry and mobility, raise prices to consumers, and provide little benefit in the way of better or safer professional service. This book is a must-read, not only for labor economists and legal academics, but anyone interested in the policy implications of the most powerful labor institution in the United States since unions in their heyday.