The need for countries to focus on enhancing social mobility within their societies has been thrown into sharp focus over the past two years.
As shown in a recent YouGov poll carried out for the UK’s Social Mobility Commission, over half of adults believe the coronavirus pandemic has increased social inequality and widened the gap between social classes.
While no country yet has legislation aimed at improving social mobility, it is becoming a key topic for regulators and employers alike.
Social mobility is defined as the link between someone’s occupation or income, and the occupation or income of their parents. If there is a strong link between the two, social mobility is low. A weak link shows more social mobility.
Past research has suggested that those countries with more income inequality also have lower levels of social mobility. This includes several major developed nations; in 2010, a report produced for the UK parliament said rates of social mobility were lower in the UK than in many other developed countries.
Although social mobility is recognised as an issue of concern in many countries, to date there have been few concrete initiatives aimed at resolving it.
Social mobility has hit the headlines in the wake of the pandemic, but it has been on the agenda for longer.
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