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
Equitable Growth hosts Econ 101 virtual event on how U.S. social insurance programs boost economic mobility
December 1, 2025
December 1, 2025
Factsheet: U.S. economic mobility and policies to increase upward mobility
June 17, 2025
June 17, 2025
Changing Opportunity: Sociological Mechanisms Underlying Growing Class Gaps and Shrinking Race Gaps in Economic Mobility
October 9, 2025
October 9, 2025
Race and the lack of intergenerational economic mobility in the United States
February 18, 2020
February 18, 2020
Explore Content in Economic Mobility422
House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth
December 8, 2021
December 8, 2021
The impact of neighborhood disparities on intergenerational mobility and economic growth in the United States
December 1, 2021
December 1, 2021
The importance of neighborhoods and intergenerational economic inequality in the United States
November 19, 2021
November 19, 2021
Testimony by Michelle Holder before the Joint Economic Committee
October 28, 2021
October 28, 2021
Supporting American Indian tribal sovereignty boosts economic outcomes for those on reservation lands
October 21, 2021
October 21, 2021
Equitable Growth welcomes two new Dissertation Scholars for 2021–22 academic year
September 22, 2021
September 22, 2021
A cost-benefit analysis of The American Families Plan’s proposed investment in a nationwide public preschool program
September 22, 2021
September 22, 2021
Congressional investments in social infrastructure would support immediate and long-term U.S. economic growth
September 16, 2021
September 16, 2021
Factsheet: What the research says about the economics of income support programs
September 16, 2021
September 16, 2021
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