Title

Mobility for All: Representative Intergenerational Mobility Estimates over the 20th Century

Author(s)

Elisa Jácome Elisa Jácome (Stanford University)

Ilyana Kuziemko Ilyana Kuziemko (Princeton University)

Suresh Naidu Suresh Naidu (Columbia University)

Abstract

We present the first estimates of long-run trends in intergenerational relative mobility for samples that are representative of the full U.S.-born population. Harmonizing all surveys that ask about father's occupation and own family income, we develop a mobility measure that allows for the inclusion of non-whites and women for the 1910s–1970s birth cohorts. We show a robust increase in mobility between the 1910s and 1940s cohorts, about half of which is driven by absolute convergence in racial income gaps. We also find that excluding Black Americans, particularly Black women, considerably overstates mobility throughout the 20th century.

Creation Date

2021-09

Section URL ID

Paper Number

302

URL

https://gceps.princeton.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/302_Kuziemko_Mobility_21sep.pdf

File Function

Jel

H00, J15, J16, N3

Keyword(s)

mobility, minorities, racial income gaps

Suppress

false

Series

3