New findings from the University of Kent indicate that Britain’s social mobility is even more restricted than previously believed. By age 30, only 10% of men and women from privileged backgrounds—children of doctors, lawyers, and executives—end up in working-class jobs. In contrast, nearly 70% secure highly paid or prestigious roles. Even with a broader definition of privilege, downward mobility to working-class jobs remains rare, affecting only 15% of this group.

The study points out that previous research may have overstated downward mobility by relying solely on technical occupational classifications, which can misrepresent the career outcomes of people from elite backgrounds. For instance, those working in high-prestige creative fields may be counted as “downwardly mobile” despite their roles being in-demand and desirable.

Reexamining the theme

This research reexamined social mobility by looking at both class and occupational prestige, uncovering lower rates of downward mobility than previously thought, along with notable gender differences. Men from privileged backgrounds more often enter well-paid fields like finance, while women are likelier to pursue prestigious but less lucrative careers in teaching or the arts. As a result, women from elite backgrounds frequently inherit their parents’ social standing, but not their income advantage, while men tend to inherit both.

These findings draw on responses from over 94,000 participants in the UK Labour Force Survey, Britain’s largest household survey.

“This study shows that the UK’s ‘glass floor’ is even sturdier than we thought. For the children of the most privileged, the risk of serious downward mobility is minimal, with a highly paid or prestigious job as the typical outcome,” the authors explain. “It also reveals significant gender disparities even among the elite, with many women from top backgrounds landing in respected but lower-paying roles compared to their male counterparts.”