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The decline in long-term earnings mobility in the U.S.: Evidence from survey-linked administrative data

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  • Carr, Michael D.
  • Wiemers, Emily E.

Abstract

The growth in cross-sectional inequality has sparked concern about its consequences for long-run economic outcomes. We use survey-linked administrative data to estimate trends in long-term earnings mobility in the U.S. since 1980 focusing on differential trends by gender, education, and race-ethnicity. We find that long-term earnings mobility has declined since the 1980s. Declines in upward mobility have occurred for both men and women, reversing a trend prior to 1980 of increasing long-run mobility for women. The largest declines in mobility are for women and college-educated workers, which is driven both by increases in the rank of earnings early in prime earning years and growing persistence in ranks across the earnings distribution.

Suggested Citation

  • Carr, Michael D. & Wiemers, Emily E., 2022. "The decline in long-term earnings mobility in the U.S.: Evidence from survey-linked administrative data," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:labeco:v:78:y:2022:i:c:s0927537122000616
    DOI: 10.1016/j.labeco.2022.102170
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    Cited by:

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    2. Wen-Jui Han & Julia Shu-Huah Wang, 2022. "Changing Employment and Work Schedule Patterns over the 30 Working Years—A Sequential Cluster Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-20, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    J31; D03; Earnings mobility; Inequality; Intragenerational mobility;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles

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