Intergenerational mobility and occupational status in Britain

This paper examines the link between parents' occupational attainment and that of their children. The existence of such a link implies dependence on inherited conditions and the stronger the link the less the potential for intergenerational mobility. The degree to which occupational mobility is influenced by parental achievements is investigated using data from the British Household Panel Survey. The evidence obtained suggests that individual attainment is strongly influenced by parental status. In particular, the occupational attainment of sons is found to depend significantly on the socioeconomic status of their fathers. The implication is that occupational mobility in 1990s Britain was still to some extent constrained by the achievements of the previous generation.