Some states are having a hard time keeping current residents happy.
Out-migration from the Golden State more than doubled as the state experienced the largest reduction in population in the United States in 2021. Oregon also saw its first decline in population in almost 40 years. Further inland, in the Great Lakes region, Minnesota experienced its largest population decline in 30 years.
There are a number of factors that can help explain these declines. Some people might grow tired of Minnesota winters. Housing prices might be out of reach for many California residents.
But another contributing factor could be occupational licensing. Oregon and Minnesota both rank in the top 10 in terms of burdensome occupational licensing, according to the 2023 State Occupational Licensing Index report that we recently published. California just missed the top 10 list, clocking in at number 11 in the national ranking.
Continue reading at Southern California News Group.
Noah Trudeau, PhD, is a research fellow at the Archbridge Institute and lead author of the institute’s “State Occupational Licensing Index” project. He is also an assistant professor of data analytics at Troy University and a research affiliate with the Knee Regulatory Research Center at West Virginia University. Follow his work @EconTrudeau.
Edward Timmons, PhD, is a senior fellow at the Archbridge Institute and a service associate professor of economics and director of the Knee Regulatory Research Center at the John Chambers School of Business and Economics at West Virginia University. He is regularly asked to provide expert testimony in state legislatures across the US on occupational licensing reform and the practice authority of nurse practitioners. His work is heavily cited by the popular press, and he has authored numerous articles for media publications.
Economics of Flourishing
Some states are having a hard time keeping current residents happy.
Out-migration from the Golden State more than doubled as the state experienced the largest reduction in population in the United States in 2021. Oregon also saw its first decline in population in almost 40 years. Further inland, in the Great Lakes region, Minnesota experienced its largest population decline in 30 years.
There are a number of factors that can help explain these declines. Some people might grow tired of Minnesota winters. Housing prices might be out of reach for many California residents.
But another contributing factor could be occupational licensing. Oregon and Minnesota both rank in the top 10 in terms of burdensome occupational licensing, according to the 2023 State Occupational Licensing Index report that we recently published. California just missed the top 10 list, clocking in at number 11 in the national ranking.
Continue reading at Southern California News Group.
Noah Trudeau
Noah Trudeau, PhD, is a research fellow at the Archbridge Institute and lead author of the institute’s “State Occupational Licensing Index” project. He is also an assistant professor of data analytics at Troy University and a research affiliate with the Knee Regulatory Research Center at West Virginia University. Follow his work @EconTrudeau.
Edward Timmons
Edward Timmons, PhD, is a senior fellow at the Archbridge Institute and a service associate professor of economics and director of the Knee Regulatory Research Center at the John Chambers School of Business and Economics at West Virginia University. He is regularly asked to provide expert testimony in state legislatures across the US on occupational licensing reform and the practice authority of nurse practitioners. His work is heavily cited by the popular press, and he has authored numerous articles for media publications.
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