Occupational licensing affects more than 20% of American workers. It is a bipartisan issue, with "red" and "blue" states appearing at the top and bottom of the #SOLI2025 index. States that want to attract new workers and enable social mobility should consider lifting barriers.

"Texas, Tennessee, and Oregon are the states where licensing requirements for people looking to get into a new line of work are the most demanding," according to a new study by Archbridge Institute. thehill.com/business/54592…

It's SOLI Release Day aka the day I get to share what we've been able to achieve on this project over the last year. As always, amazing thanks to the Archbridge Institute for giving this project a home.

Thank you The Hill and Tobias Burns for featuring the results of the new 2025 State Occupational Licensing Index. Read about it! thehill.com/business/54592…

Good news: "Despite growing political polarization and isolationist rhetoric, the latest research reveals Americans haven’t lost faith in their nation as a force for good in the world." Clay Routledge shares new #ProgressPulse findings in RealClearPolitics: realclearpolitics.com/articles/2025/…

In my latest for New York Times Opinion, I discuss Gen Z historical nostalgia and what our Human Flourishing Lab team Archbridge Institute has discovered about it. nytimes.com/2025/08/24/opi…

In New York Times Opinion In a survey, 60% of Gen Z adults wished they could return to a time before everyone was “plugged in” — even if that predates their own lives, the research psychologist Clay Routledge writes. nyti.ms/45LSr70

"I often hear people wonder if today’s young adults were born too late to reap the benefits of the pre-internet world," writes Clay Routledge. "Our research gives me hope that the answer is no, because historical nostalgia is helping them to do just that."

“Nostalgia is, counterintuitively, a future-oriented endeavor. We draw on it to resolve our dissatisfactions in the present and to move forward with hope and determination. Yes, it can be indulged. But for most people, most of the time, it is a stabilizing and energizing force.”

According to Archbridge Institute, Washington has the 11th worst occupational licensing rules. These rules discriminate against low-income workers and people who move from other states like military spouses. It is time to eliminate these needless and unfair barriers. #waleg

Most people, including the last three U.S. presidents, recognize occupational licensing is out of control. reason.com/2025/08/29/rep…

Thank you Adam A. Millsap for highlighting the new State Occupational Licensing Index and how these regulations affect American workers.

Occupational licensing affects more than 20% of U.S. workers and 250+ careers, but the burden is higher in some states than others. #LaborDay 🚧 How many barriers to work are in your state? Check out our new occupational licensing rankings: archbridgeinstitute.org/state-occupati…

"Historical nostalgia may be helping a younger generation to harness the benefits of new technology while preserving the virtues of the tangible, physical experiences that remain essential to human flourishing," writes Clay Routledge in The New York Times. nytimes.com/2025/08/24/opi…

From Jean Twenge (author of 10 RULES, GENERATIONS): "These feelings of purpose and meaning are sometimes difficult to put into words—perhaps why they aren’t regularly discussed—but they are central to being a parent." theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…