Social Mobility in Britain

A Government report has produced some interesting findings about the prospects of social mobility in contemporary Britain.

The Panel on Fair Access to the Professions, led by Alan Milburn MP, has today published a first research paper highlighting key trends and issues in access to the Professions.

The research report finds that many of Britain’s professions have become more socially exclusive and that, as a consequence, bright children from average income families, not just those from more disadvantaged backgrounds, are missing out on a professional career.

Amongst its key findings the report says:

* Over half of professional occupations like law and finance are currently dominated by people from independent schools which are attended by just 7% of the population
* 75% of judges and 45% of top civil servants were independently schooled
* A typical professional born in 1958 came from a family which earned 17% more than the average family income; but by 1970 the family income gap between those who went on to pursue a professional career and the average family had risen to 27% with journalism and accountancy seeing the biggest rise
* Lawyers who were born in 1970 grew up in families 64% above the average family’s income and for doctors the figure was 63%
* By contrast the teaching, academic and cultural professions saw a decline in numbers who had grown up in families with above average incomes