Licensing began with medicine and law; now it extends to 20 percent of the U.S. workforce, including hair stylists and auctioneers. In a new book, the legal scholar Rebecca Allensworth calls licensing boards “a thicket of self-dealing and ineptitude” and says they keep bad workers in their jobs and good ones out — while failing to protect the public.

• SOURCES:
  • Rebecca Allensworth, professor of law at Vanderbilt University.

• RESOURCES:
  • "The Licensing Racket: How We Decide Who Is Allowed to Work, and Why It Goes Wrong" by Rebecca Allensworth (2025).
  • "Licensed to Pill," by Rebecca Allensworth (The New York Review of Books, 2020).
  • "Licensing Occupations: Ensuring Quality or Restricting Competition?" by Morris Kleiner (W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, 2006).
  • "How Much of Barrier to Entry is Occupational Licensing?" by Peter Blair and Bobby Chung (British Journal of Industrial Relations, 2019).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Is Ozempic as Magical as It Sounds?" by Freakonomics Radio (2024).

In 2023, the N.F.L. players’ union conducted a workplace survey that revealed clogged showers, rats in the locker room — and some insights for those of us who don’t play football. Today we’re updating that episode, with extra commentary from Omnipresent Football Guy (and former Philadelphia Eagle) Jason Kelce.

• SOURCES:
  • Tom Garfinkel, vice chairman, C.E.O., and president of the Miami Dolphins.
  • Jim Ivler, certified contract advisor for players in the National Football League.
  • Jason Kelce, host of New Heights podcast and former center for the Philadelphia Eagles.
  • Jalen Reeves-Maybin, linebacker for the Detroit Lions and president of the National Football League Players Association.
  • Betsey Stevenson, professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan.
  • J.C. Tretter, former president of the National Football League Players Association and former offensive lineman.
  • Mark Wilf, owner and president of the Minnesota Vikings.

• RESOURCES:
  • “N.F.L. Player Team Report Cards,” by the National Football League Players Association (2024).
  • "NFLPA team report cards: Dolphins rank No. 1; Jaguars jump from 28th to fifth; Commanders earn worst grade," by Jonathan Jones (CBS Sports, 2024).
  • Kelce, documentary (2023).
  • “The N.F.L. Cast Him Out; He Says That Only Makes Him More Powerful,” by Alex Prewitt (Sports Illustrated, 2022).
  • New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce, (produced by Wave Sports + Entertainment).

• EXTRAS:
  • "Why Don’t Running Backs Get Paid Anymore?" by Freakonomics Radio (2025)
  • “How Does Playing Football Affect Your Health?” by Freakonomics, M.D. (2023).
  • “Why Does the Most Monotonous Job in the World Pay $1 Million?” by Freakonomics Radio (2022).

They used to be the N.F.L.’s biggest stars, with paychecks to match. Now their salaries are near the bottom, and their careers are shorter than ever. We speak with an analytics guru, an agent, some former running backs (including LeSean McCoy), and the economist Roland Fryer (a former Pop Warner running back himself) to understand why.

• SOURCES:
  • Brian Burke, sports data scientist at ESPN
  • Roland Fryer, professor of economics at Harvard University
  • LeSean McCoy, former running back in the N.F.L. and co-host for Fox's daily studio show, "The Facility"
  • Robert Smith, former running back for the Minnesota Vikings and N.F.L. analyst
  • Robert Turbin, former running back, N.F.L. analyst for CBS Sports HQ, and college football announcer
  • Jeffery Whitney, founder and president at The Sports & Entertainment Group

• RESOURCES:
  • "The Economics of Running Backs," by Roland Fryer (Wall Street Journal, 2024)
  • "Confessions of a Hero-Worshiper," by Stephen Dubner (2007)
  • "The Rest of the Iceberg: An Insider’s View on the World of Sports and Celebrity," by Robert Smith (2004)

• EXTRAS:
  • "Roland Fryer Refuses to Lie to Black America," by Freakonomics Radio (2022)
  • "Why Does the Most Monotonous Job in the World Pay $1 Million?" by Freakonomics Radio (2022)