A study published a few years ago by New York University highlighted the slowdown in social mobility in the United States, as the American dream proves increasingly illusive.  The data shows the sons and daughters of high-status parents have many more advantages in the labor market than previous work believed. For instance, roughly 50% of children of workers in top-tier occupations now work in occupations of similar stature. Alternatively, half of the children of parents in bottom tier work also work in occupations of similar stature.

A second study, from Boston College, highlighted how rising economic inequality makes such social mobility even harder.  The study reveals that rising economic inequality makes upward mobility feel practically impossible for disadvantaged youths, which in turn results in lower motivation and less productive behaviors.

Health implications

Research from Yale illustrates the health implications this lack of social mobility has.  The researchers say that achieving upward mobility is the key to a long and happy life.

They compared white males, white females, black males, and black females to determine their upward mobility.  They used a wide range of data in doing this, including mortality statistics, tax records, and so on.

With the notable exception of white males, the analysis found that limits to upward mobility in early life were strongly linked with a higher chance of death in early adulthood, with this trend particularly strong among Black males.  When exploring possible reasons for this, the researchers found that living in cities and failing to get a college degree were both contributing factors.

“Our work shows that a lack of upward mobility—consistently being cut off from achieving the American Dream—has serious consequences on the life expectancy of Black males,” the researchers say. “Structural racism has determined where many Black Americans grow up, affecting their chances of obtaining a college degree, getting a good job, and starting a family—all important elements of achieving the American Dream.  Not having those opportunities reduces people’s access to upward mobility, which can shorten their lives.”

Two countries

To better illustrate the findings, the researchers suggest imagining two different countries, both with different upward mobility rates.  In country A, Black males from low-income parents are able to achieve the 39th percentile of national income by the time they’re 24.  By contrast, in country B, those same men can achieve the 49th percentile.

The study suggests that the mortality rate for those men would be higher in country A than in country B by 1.146 deaths.  The scale of the findings was stark, with racial disparities evident even in countries with relatively high levels of upward mobility in early life.

“People from different demographic groups living in the same counties have varied experiences,” the researchers say. “In all the counties we studied, Black males had the lowest early-life upward mobility and the highest early-adulthood mortality.”

“Our work shows that all Americans do not have equal access to upward mobility, and therefore, they have unequal opportunities to realize the American Dream,” the researchers conclude. “Policymakers should consider initiatives that would reduce inequality in upward mobility, such as improving access to high-quality educational opportunities and medical care, reducing people’s exposure to lead and other pollution early in childhood, and building safer neighborhoods.”