Black–White Differences in Intergenerational Economic Mobility in the United States

Abstract

In recent decades, blacks have experienced substantially less upward mobility and substantially more downward mobility from one generation to the next than whites. These results are shown to be highly robust to a variety of measurement issues. The author examines rates of intergenerational mobility by race and asks whether such racial differences in the U.S. are likely to be eliminated and, if so, how long it might take.

Keywords: intergenerational mobility, racial gaps, family structure, AFQT

JEL Classification: J62, J15, J12, J24