Two-thirds of those born in working class families will move UP the social ladder, study suggests, contradicting claims social mobility is stagnating
- New report by think tank Civitas contradicts claims social mobility is stagnating
- Found 65 per cent of those with working class parents moved up in social class
- Sociology professor Peter Saunders says it shows a ‘fluid and open’ society
Two-thirds of those born to working class families are likely to move out of their parents’ class, a new study has suggested.
Around 65 per cent of those with working class parents have moved up in social class, according to a new report by think tank Civitas.
While 40 per cent of those born to professional-managerial parents have moved down, according to the report.
It contradicts claims that social mobility is stagnating, and reveals that it is quite ordinary for people to move classes during their life.
Around 65 per cent of those with working class parents have moved up in social class (stock image), according to a new report by think tank Civitas
Citing data from the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) Labour Force Survey, it also found that a third of working class children had even jumped straight to the top tier of professional and managerial positions, as reported by the The Daily Telegraph.
Sussex University sociology professor Peter Saunders, who produced the report for Civitas, said: ‘This does not look like a static, rigid, closed society; it looks more like a remarkably fluid and open one’.
He added that it might look like fewer people are changing class now, simply because there are far more people in the middle class than there were during the 1940s.
Despite this, government figures have separately revealed that more than 7,000 children were labelled ‘in need’ before they were even born last year.
Despite this, government figures have separately revealed that more than 7,000 children were labelled ‘in need’ before they were even born last year (stock image)
Department for Education annual figures showed the number of ‘unborn’ recorded in the total of vulnerable children has almost trebled in the last eight years.
Among the most common concerns were domestic violence, neglect and being born into ‘dysfunctional families’.
The figures for 2018-19, show a new high of 7,360 children considered vulnerable before their birth.
A spokesman for the Department for Education said: ‘For unborn children, social services will refer cases where there are concerns regarding the parents, carer or other adults in the household.’