Gov. Scott Walker recently announced that Wisconsin will spend $1.9 million to attract returning military personnel and their spouses to the state as part of an effort to expand the labor pool. Veterans are in high demand in states facing labor shortages because the U.S. military trains its personnel with skills that are applicable to nearly 1,000 different civilian occupations. But existing occupational licensing requirements serve as a major deterrent to these recruitment efforts.
The expansion of licensing requirements in Wisconsin has been rapid — and troubling. From 1996 to 2016, the number of licensed professionals increased by 34 percent in the state, and the number of licensed professions increased by a whopping 84 percent. During that same period, the total state population grew at just over 10 percent. This trend is consistent with the growth of licensing regulations in other states.
Read Full Article »