Part 1
Life Experiences
that Power
Economic Mobility

Despite a decades-long decline in economic mobility in the United States, many Americans, according to our national survey, still believe that upward mobility is common—that people and households constrained by low incomes are eventually able to earn a high income.

Promoting economic mobility for all is not only critical to protecting the lives and livelihoods of Americans but also to supporting economic growth and maintaining democratic stability. This report offers insights into 28 “mobility experiences” in one’s life that have significant impact on lifetime income—and as a result—economic mobility. These experiences can occur throughout a person’s lifetime and span six thematic areas that have significant influence on intragenerational mobility, as outlined below:

Career Progression

• Avoiding involuntary unemployment

• Obtaining a first full-time job that offers an opportunity for advancement

• Receiving job or skills training

Community Interactions

• Accessing stable, affordable housing

• Avoiding interactions with the criminal justice system

• Living in a high mobility neighborhood

• Having reliable and affordable access to physical and digital infrastructure (including transit and internet)  
  

Education

• Accessing extracurriculars during adolescence (including sports, clubs, work)

• Accessing pre-K and other early childhood development opportunities 

• Avoiding repeated school disciplinary actions

• Completing high school education 

• Graduating with a degree in a high-paying field of study 

• Pursuing/completing postsecondary education

Financial Well-being

• Accessing non-wage employment-based benefits (including healthcare, retirement) 

• Accessing public benefits and programs 

• Experiencing financial inclusion (including financial education and access)

• Having manageable student debt

• Owning a business  

Physical and Mental Health

• Accessing care for mental and physical health conditions 

• Accessing pre-and post-natal care 

• Being born with a healthy birth weight 

• Having access to adequate nutrition and a balanced diet in childhood

• Having low exposure to traumatic experiences (including ACEs)

Social and Familial Relationships

• Having strong social and professional networks

• Living with a working adult partner (including cohabitation, marriage)

• Not having to provide unpaid care for adult family members

• Not having to provide unpaid care for children

• Receiving mentorship during adolescence

Three experiences in particular had the strongest evidence of high potential for impact on lifetime income. These include:

• Pursuing or completing a postsecondary education

• Graduating with a degree in a high-paying field of study

• Obtaining a first full-time job that offers an opportunity for advancement

These results provide valuable insights into how stakeholders can prioritize opportunities to influence economic mobility for people across the United States.  Structural factors are a critical component of who has access to these key mobility experiences. This report also explores the ways in which structural racism and socioeconomic and gender inequities impact economic mobility and drive deepened income and wealth inequalities in the United States. As the first installment in the three-part series, this report aims to:

1. 1. Align stakeholders around a comprehensive inventory of life experiences that matter for improving economic mobility outcomes, and

   2. Provide a robust quantified assessment of the impact of different life experiences on income.

This knowledge can inform efforts to shift harmful narratives around poverty and support the mobilization of coordinated capital to increase access to and navigation of life experiences that advance economic mobility across the country.

Download the Full Report

Part 1 Webinar