Social Mobility

Today sees the launch of the government's New Opportunities white paper, which contains proposals to increase social mobility in the UK. The key themes of the paper are education and skills, with an emphasis on enabling people from all backgrounds to gain entry to top professions. Extra incentives for teachers who work in Britain's toughest schools is another proposal which has made the headlines.

Social mobility has been somehing of a hot topic in recent months. Only yesterday the Liberal Democrats' Social Mobility Commission published a report which argued that success in life in the UK is still largely determined by parents' background and earnings. Other reports that have covered this subject include Social Mobility: A Background Review (an excellent introduction to the topic) and Recent Changes in Intergenerational Mobility in Britain.