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Using Occupation to Measure Intergenerational Mobility

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  • Bhashkar Mazumder
  • Miguel Acosta

Abstract

Scholarly investigations of intergenerational mobility typically focus on either the occupations of fathers and sons or their incomes. Using an identical sample of fathers and sons, we examine how estimates of intergenerational mobility in income and occupational prestige are affected by (1) measurement that uses long time averages and (2) varying the point in the life cycle when outcomes are measured. We find that intergenerational occupational mobility is overstated when using a single year of fathers’ occupation compared to a 10-year average centered on mid-career. We also find that for both income and occupation, mobility estimates are largest when sons are in their mid-career, suggesting that this may be the ideal period in which to measure their status. Finally, we see differences in the pattern of estimates across the two types of measures: for income, estimates of intergenerational persistence are highest when fathers are in their mid-career; for occupation, estimates are much larger when fathers’ occupations are accounted for late in their careers.

Suggested Citation

  • Bhashkar Mazumder & Miguel Acosta, 2015. "Using Occupation to Measure Intergenerational Mobility," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 657(1), pages 174-193, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:657:y:2015:i:1:p:174-193
    DOI: 10.1177/0002716214552056
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Yoosoon Chang & Steven N. Durlauf & Seunghee Lee & Joon Y. Park, 2023. "A Trajectories-Based Approach to Measuring Intergenerational Mobility," NBER Working Papers 31020, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Zachary Ward, 2023. "Intergenerational Mobility in American History: Accounting for Race and Measurement Error," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 113(12), pages 3213-3248, December.
    3. Brian Bell & Jack Blundell & Stephen Machin, 2023. "Where is the Land of Hope and Glory? The geography of intergenerational mobility in England and Wales," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 125(1), pages 73-106, January.
    4. David B. Grusky & Timothy M. Smeeding & C. Matthew Snipp, 2015. "A New Infrastructure for Monitoring Social Mobility in the United States," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 657(1), pages 63-82, January.
    5. Michele Bavaro & Federico Tullio, 2023. "Intergenerational mobility measurement with latent transition matrices," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 21(1), pages 25-45, March.
    6. Bavaro, Michele, 2018. "Intergenerational mobility of status with multiple dimensions in Germany and the United Kingdom," ISER Working Paper Series 2018-09, Institute for Social and Economic Research.

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