(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
The need for more qualified workers is a bipartisan issue in Iowa. Regardless of a rural or urban setting, workforce is still a concern for many employers and communities. State policymakers have been responsive to this concern, and they have actively been easing regulatory burdens in recent years. This includes reducing barriers to employment and ensuring that unnecessary roadblocks do not deter individuals from securing meaningful work.
In 2020, Iowa passed landmark occupational licensing reform, which universally recognizes out-of-state licenses. This reform is crucial, because now those who relocate to Iowa can immediately begin to work and not go through the “bureaucratic” process of obtaining a new license. Between 2023 and 2025, Iowa expedited over 4,570 licenses.
State government itself, particularly the agencies and departments within the executive branch, has undergone significant reform, streamlining, and consolidation. The number of cabinet-level agencies was reduced from 37 to 16, with licensing functions consolidated into a single department to improve efficiency and accountability.
During the 2025 legislative session, lawmakers approved a reform to modernize Iowa’s licensing system for barbers and cosmetologists. The bipartisan measure was signed into law, creating new flexibility for workers entering the profession, allowing “barbers and cosmetologists to work without an occupational license, as long as they operate in a state-approved barbershop or salon under the supervision of a licensed practitioner.”
Although Iowa has made important progress in reducing barriers to employment, more reform is needed. The Archbridge Institute’s State Occupational Licensing Index 2025 ranks Iowa 19th in the nation. Regionally, Iowa has some of the highest barriers with 165.
How can Iowa continue to make progress on removing needless barriers to work?
Continue reading at Iowa Capital Dispatch.
John Hendrickson is the policy director for Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation.
Edward Timmons, PhD, is Vice President of Policy at the Archbridge Institute. He leads the institute's economic policy strategy, identifying focus areas and disseminating work to key stakeholders and policymakers. His own research focuses on labor economics and regulatory policy; he is regularly asked to provide expert testimony to U.S. states on occupational licensing reform and the practice authority of nurse practitioners. Dr. Timmons received his Ph.D. in economics from Lehigh University and his B.A. in economics and actuarial science from Lebanon Valley College. He publishes a weekly newsletter on Substack with the latest research and policy insights surrounding occupational licensing.
Economics of Flourishing
(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
The need for more qualified workers is a bipartisan issue in Iowa. Regardless of a rural or urban setting, workforce is still a concern for many employers and communities. State policymakers have been responsive to this concern, and they have actively been easing regulatory burdens in recent years. This includes reducing barriers to employment and ensuring that unnecessary roadblocks do not deter individuals from securing meaningful work.
In 2020, Iowa passed landmark occupational licensing reform, which universally recognizes out-of-state licenses. This reform is crucial, because now those who relocate to Iowa can immediately begin to work and not go through the “bureaucratic” process of obtaining a new license. Between 2023 and 2025, Iowa expedited over 4,570 licenses.
State government itself, particularly the agencies and departments within the executive branch, has undergone significant reform, streamlining, and consolidation. The number of cabinet-level agencies was reduced from 37 to 16, with licensing functions consolidated into a single department to improve efficiency and accountability.
During the 2025 legislative session, lawmakers approved a reform to modernize Iowa’s licensing system for barbers and cosmetologists. The bipartisan measure was signed into law, creating new flexibility for workers entering the profession, allowing “barbers and cosmetologists to work without an occupational license, as long as they operate in a state-approved barbershop or salon under the supervision of a licensed practitioner.”
Although Iowa has made important progress in reducing barriers to employment, more reform is needed. The Archbridge Institute’s State Occupational Licensing Index 2025 ranks Iowa 19th in the nation. Regionally, Iowa has some of the highest barriers with 165.
How can Iowa continue to make progress on removing needless barriers to work?
Continue reading at Iowa Capital Dispatch.
John Hendrickson
John Hendrickson is the policy director for Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation.
Edward Timmons
Edward Timmons, PhD, is Vice President of Policy at the Archbridge Institute. He leads the institute's economic policy strategy, identifying focus areas and disseminating work to key stakeholders and policymakers. His own research focuses on labor economics and regulatory policy; he is regularly asked to provide expert testimony to U.S. states on occupational licensing reform and the practice authority of nurse practitioners. Dr. Timmons received his Ph.D. in economics from Lehigh University and his B.A. in economics and actuarial science from Lebanon Valley College. He publishes a weekly newsletter on Substack with the latest research and policy insights surrounding occupational licensing.
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