Better-off children protected from failure by “glass floor”, says UK study

Less-able children from wealthier backgrounds in the UK are protected from falling down the social scale in adult life by a “glass floor” while their less well-off peers are locked out of top jobs, according to new research.

The report, published by the government-sponsoredSocial Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, found that less intelligent, better-off children were35% more likely成为高收入者later in life than more intelligent children from poorer families.

The author of the study,Abigail McKnightof the London School of Economics, looked at the impact that social background has on earnings at age 42 and whether this can be explained by earlycognitive ability,qualifications,school type,parental education level, and non-cognitive skills such asself-esteemandbehaviour．

McKnight’s research found that social background and family income have a significant effect on the likelihood ofhigher earnings, even after accounting for factors such as ability and qualifications. Both parental education level and attendance at aprivate schoolhave a significant impact on a child’s future career success, beyond their immediate impact on academic achievement, according to the study.

Alan Milburn, the chair of the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, commented that: “It has long been recognised that there is aglass ceilingin British society that prevents children with potential progressing to the top. This research reveals there is a glass floor thatinhibits social mobilityas much as the glass ceiling.”

He said employers need to ensure that “internshipsaren’t simply reserved for those with the right social contacts and thatrecruitment processesaren’t skewed to favour polish over potential.”

Paul Devereuxhas written for IZA World of Labor about theintergenerational return to human capital．观察,受过良好教育的父母莫投资re time in their children, which later pays off in the labor market, he writes that: “Policy interventions that predominantly encourage the educational attainment of children from poorer families willreduce inequalityin both the current and future generations.”

Read more on this story atBBC Newsand download the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission reporthere．

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Intergenerational return to human capitalbyPaul J. Devereux
School tracking and intergenerational social mobilitybyTuomas Pekkarinen