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Spatial and social mobility in England and Wales: a sub-national analysis of differences and trends over time

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  • Buscha, Franz
  • Gorman, Emma
  • Sturgis, Patrick

Abstract

Recent studies of social mobility have documented that not only who your parents are, but also where you grow up, substantially influences subsequent life chances. We bring these two concepts together to study social mobility in England and Wales, in three post-war generations, using linked Decennial Census data. Our findings show considerable spatial variation in rates of absolute and relative mobility, as well as how these have changed over time. While upward mobility increased in every region between the mid-1950s and the early 1980s, this shift varied across different regions and tailed off for more recent cohorts. We also explore how domestic migration is related to social mobility, finding that those who moved out of their region of origin had higher rates of upward mobility compared to those who stayed, although this difference narrowed over time.

Suggested Citation

  • Buscha, Franz & Gorman, Emma & Sturgis, Patrick, 2021. "Spatial and social mobility in England and Wales: a sub-national analysis of differences and trends over time," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 111605, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:111605
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/111605/
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Raj Chetty & Nathaniel Hendren, 2018. "The Impacts of Neighborhoods on Intergenerational Mobility I: Childhood Exposure Effects," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 133(3), pages 1107-1162.
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    3. Sam Friedman & Lindsey Macmillan, 2017. "Is London Really the Engine-Room? Migration, Opportunity Hoarding and Regional Social Mobility in the UK," National Institute Economic Review, National Institute of Economic and Social Research, vol. 240(1), pages 58-72, May.
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    5. Raj Chetty & Nathaniel Hendren & Patrick Kline & Emmanuel Saez, 2014. "Where is the land of Opportunity? The Geography of Intergenerational Mobility in the United States," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 129(4), pages 1553-1623.
    6. Stefanie Heidrich, 2017. "Intergenerational mobility in Sweden: a regional perspective," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 30(4), pages 1241-1280, October.
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    8. Bukodi, Erzsébet & Goldthorpe, John H. & Waller, Lorraine & Kuha, Jouni, 2015. "The mobility problem in Britain: new findings from the analysis of birth cohort data," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 60249, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. Miles Corak, 0. "The Canadian Geography of Intergenerational Income Mobility," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 130(631), pages 2134-2174.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mark Fransham & Max Herbertson & Mihaela Pop & Margarida Bandeira Morais & Neil Lee, 2023. "Level best? The levelling up agenda and UK regional inequality," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(11), pages 2339-2352, November.
    2. Nazareno Panichella & Stefano Cantalini, 2023. "Is Geographical Mobility Beneficial? The Impact of the South-to-North Internal Migration on Occupational Achievement in Italy," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 42(5), pages 1-22, October.
    3. Buscha, Franz & Gorman, Emma & Sturgis, Patrick, 2023. "Selective schooling and social mobility in England," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    census; geography; social class; social mobility;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N0 - Economic History - - General

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