Research Shows Easing Licensing Requirements Benefits Women
KANSAS CITY – Pointing to research showing state licensing requirements have a disproportionate impact on women, Women’s Foundation today hailed Governor Parson's signing of HB 1511 and HB 1452, which would allow military spouses to move to Missouri without losing their professional licenses from other states.
“Moving across state lines shouldn’t mean losing your ability to earn a living, but that’s the reality many families face as a result of a patchwork of burdensome and unnecessary licensing requirements,” said Wendy Doyle, Women’s Foundation President & CEO. “Our research shows that when professional licensing requirements can’t be transferred from state-to-state, women and military families bear the brunt. We thank Governor Parson and bill sponsors Reps. Steve Lynch and Nick Schroer for their commitment to helping Missouri military families unlock their economic potential and easing the harmful barriers that hold them back.”
Women’s Foundation research found that:
Families are more likely to relocate for a man’s profession and that relocation for a man’s career tends to improve his career development, but impair a woman’s career development.
In the US, in 2015, employed women were more likely to hold a certification or license than employed men (28.1% and 23.2%, respectively).
The occupations in which workers have the highest likelihood of having a certification or license were healthcare practitioners and technical occupations (76.9 %), legal occupations (68.1 %), and education, training, and library occupations (55.5%). Many of these are women-dominated professions.
Women are more likely to fill jobs in human service type occupations, like teaching, managers or nursing professions, which have more geographic flexibility than male dominated professions like engineers or scientists. Because occupations traditionally held by women have a wider array of locations than traditionally male-dominated jobs, women are more likely to move for their partner’s profession.
In 2018, the Women’s Foundation worked with the General Assembly to pass SB 843, which waived licensing fees for military families and low-income Missourians.
The Women’s Foundation also supported passage of legislation to allow those seeking to pursue a career in hair braiding to complete an online video and obtain a certificate of registration. Previously, hair braiders had to complete over 1,000 hours of training for a cosmetology license, even though the training did not include hair braiding skills.
Click here to see the Women’s Foundation’s full research report on occupational licensing
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