Occupational licensing laws require the citizens of West Virginia to obtain a permission slip from Charleston to work. To obtain the permission slip, citizens must complete minimum levels of training and education, pay fees, pass exams, and meet additional entry requirements. Is occupational licensing presenting Mountaineers with an unnecessary mountain of regulation to climb to obtain employment?

In partnership with the Knee Center for the Study of Occupational Regulation at Saint Francis University, the Cardinal Institute for WV Policy surveyed the occupational licensing requirements of 64 occupations across West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

In this publication, we release our preliminary findings from the survey. The full study will be released later this year.