Provincial Occupational Licensing Index, 2026

Provincial Occupational Licensing Index, 2026

• Occupational licensing makes it illegal for aspiring workers to begin working before obtaining a credential issued by the government. To obtain the credential, workers must often obtain minimum levels of education and training, pass exams, pay fees, and meet additional entry requirements.
• By limiting the supply of labour, licensure can raise the wages of those who are licensed. But this comes at a social cost by reducing employment, suppressing the wages of non-licensed workers, raising prices, and increasing income inequality. Moreover, there is little evidence that licensure increases either the quality or safety of services.
• Approximately 11 percent of Canadian workers are licensed, and requirements vary significantly by region.
• This bulletin introduces the first comprehensive index of occupational licensing across Canada’s provinces.
• It finds that Alberta, Quebec, and Ontario have the highest licensing burdens, whereas Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland & Labrador license the fewest professions.
• As demonstrated by the case of Alberta, occupational licensure does not strongly correlate with other measures of economic freedom, such as lower taxes and spending.
• By comparing Canadian and US regulatory frameworks, our research highlights how licensing requirements are often arbitrary and fail to serve the best interests of consumers.