Cato Institute research: The Racial Impact of Professional Licensing
Date postedAugust 7, 2024
A research brief from the Cato Institute suggests that government licensing may contribute to a lower proportion of racial and ethnic minorities in high-paying occupations. The research specifically considers the CPA profession and the 150-hour rule, which equates to a fifth year of college education. The research shows an uneven decline in entry to the CPA profession across groups from 1986 to 2019 - a 26% decline for minority CPAs compared to a 14% decline for nonminority groups.