Social mobility prospects for the current generation of school-aged young people are bleak, warns a major new report published today to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sutton Trust. It warns that future life chances for disadvantaged young people will be blighted by the pandemic as the country braces itself for a cost-of-living crisis. The researchers forecast that relative income mobility levels in the UK could fall by as much as 12% driven by stark divides in Covid learning loss in schools. This would represent a ‘step-change’ decline compared with other countries.
Social Mobility – Past, Present and Future by Andrew Eyles, Prof Lee Elliot Major and Prof Stephen Machin also highlights deepening divides in home ownership. Between 2000 and 2017, the gap in home ownership rates between those who grew up in rented accommodation compared to owner occupied homes has doubled. The report cautions that these trends, alongside the impact of the pandemic and current economic challenges, pose a threat to social mobility for future generations.
