Economic mobility measures the relationship between a parent and child’s economic outcomes, usually in terms of income. Too often, an individual’s economic outcome in the United States is determined by parental resources, race, and privilege, rather than individual effort and talent. In addition, rising economic inequality over the past several decades means that the consequences of stalled or falling economic mobility have gotten worse. Equitable Growth seeks to understand how today’s inequalities could be foreclosing equality of opportunity for future generations.
Featured work
Wealth as a driver of income and consumption mobility in the United States
June 7, 2023
June 7, 2023
New research suggests that social circles affect upward mobility among U.S. children and young adults
September 7, 2022
September 7, 2022
Race and the lack of intergenerational economic mobility in the United States
February 18, 2020
February 18, 2020
Factsheet: What the research says about the economic impacts of reproductive care
June 27, 2022
June 27, 2022
Explore Content in Economic Mobility396
The Highway to Displacement: Interstate 10 and Black Communities in New Orleans
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The Distributional Effects of Firm Productivity Changes: Evidence from U.S. Linked Worker-Owner Data
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August 27, 2024
The Effect of Wealth on Descendants of the Enslaved
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August 27, 2024
The Effects of Participating in Multiple Safety Net Programs on Family Well-Being
August 27, 2024
August 27, 2024
Evaluating the Labor Market Effects of Short-Time Compensation in California
August 27, 2024
August 27, 2024
On Juneteenth: New research demonstrates how economic mobility is restricted for Black Americans
June 18, 2024
June 18, 2024
A researcher’s guide to identifying policy-relevant research questions for the federal government
May 30, 2024
May 30, 2024
New recommendations for an integrated system of U.S. inequality statistics chart a bold path forward
April 23, 2024
April 23, 2024
Enhanced Child Tax Credit helped U.S. families afford life-enhancing necessities and cope with inflation
April 2, 2024
April 2, 2024
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