With unemployment skyrocketing in the wake of COVID-19, labor mobility is more important than ever. But in California, over 200 different jobs require an occupational license. Including jobs like hairdressers, shampooers, and makeup artists. Licensing requirements have cost the state more than 200,000 jobs and $22 billion in misallocated resources. Occupational licensing is particularly hard for low-income Californians who lack both the time and money required. It protects the connected and privileged at the expense of the poor and struggling.

The Cato Project on Poverty and Inequality in California was launched in 2019 to study the root causes of poverty in California and recommend practical solutions designed to help all Californians prosper and rise as far as their individual talents and abilities will take them. Learn more.