Occupational licensure, one of the most significant labor market regulations in the United States, may restrict the interstate movement of workers. We analyze the interstate migration of 22 licensed occupations. Using an empirical strategy that controls for unobservable characteristics that drive long-distance moves, we find that the between-state migration rate for individuals in occupations with state-specific licensing exam requirements is 36 percent lower relative to members of other occupations. Members of licensed occupations with national licensing exams show no evidence of limited interstate migration. The size of this effect varies across occupations and appears to be tied to the state specificity of licensing requirements. We also provide evidence that the adoption of reciprocity agreements, which lower re-licensure costs, increases the interstate migration rate of lawyers. Based on our results, we estimate that the rise in occupational licensing can explain part of the documented decline in interstate migration and job transitions in the United States.

中文翻译：

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职业许可是州际移民的障碍吗？

职业执照是美国最重要的劳动力市场法规之一，可能会限制工人的州际流动。我们分析了 22 种许可职业的州际迁移。使用控制驱动长距离移动的不可观察特征的实证策略，我们发现，与其他职业的成员相比，具有州特定许可考试要求的职业的个人的州间迁移率低 36%。持有国家执照考试的执照职业成员没有证据表明州际移民有限。这种影响的大小因职业而异，似乎与州许可要求的特殊性有关。我们还提供证据表明，采用互惠协议可降低再许可成本，增加了律师的州际移民率。根据我们的结果，我们估计职业许可的增加可以解释美国州际移民和工作转换减少的部分原因。