Intergenerational mobility in the United States

A study examines intergenerational occupational mobility in the United States. The United States is often characterized as a land of opportunity, but how social mobility changes over generations is unclear. Yu Xie and colleagues examined intergenerational occupational mobility in the United States using census and survey data linking roughly 5 million occupational records largely pertaining to white men born in the United States between 1830 and 1980. The authors found that intergenerational mobility has declined since 1850, in line with a transition from a largely agricultural to industrial nation. For example, more than 57% of men born in the 1800 birth cohort were farmers, whereas 13% of men born in the 1900 birth cohort were farmers, despite population growth. Further, the majority of occupations since the 1800s have experienced relative decline in status due to the expansion of high-status occupations over time. Only a few occupations, such as architect, health professional, engineer, jurist, and scientist, retained stable percentile ranks. Individuals born before 1900 experienced increased mobility relative to their fathers, and as industrialization and the transition from an agricultural economy slowed, individuals born after 1940 experienced less upward mobility than previous generations. The findings suggest that prospects for high-status occupations have worsened for recent generations, according to the authors.

Article #19-05094: “Long-term decline in intergenerational mobility in the United States since the 1850s,” by Xi Song et al.

MEDIA CONTACT: Yu Xie, Princeton University, NJ; tel: 609-258-7080; email:

[email protected]

###

This part of information is sourced from https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-11/potn-imi112019.php

Yu Xie
609-258-7080
[email protected]

withyou android app

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.