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 Mobility398
We can cut child poverty in the United States in half in 10 years
March 27, 2019
March 27, 2019
Paid family and medical leave in the United States: A data agenda for practitioners
March 7, 2019
March 7, 2019
Building a competitive, talent-driven future for U.S. manufacturing requires investing in our nation’s high-tech advantage
February 20, 2019
February 20, 2019
As the U.S. rural economy changes, social safety net programs buoy rural residents above the poverty line
February 1, 2019
February 1, 2019
Economic change and the social safety net: Are rural Americans still behind?
February 1, 2019
February 1, 2019
In conversation with Karen Dynan
December 12, 2018
December 12, 2018
New Fed paper suggests it’s not all millennials’ fault after all
December 6, 2018
December 6, 2018
Investments in early childhood education improve outcomes for program participants—and perhaps other children too
December 4, 2018
December 4, 2018
How job-matching technologies can build a fairer and more efficient U.S. labor market
November 15, 2018
November 15, 2018
Equitable Growth releases 2019 Request for Proposals
November 8, 2018
November 8, 2018
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