2025/11/04 by Ulrika Ahrsjö, René Karadakic, Joachim Kahr Rasmussen · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #Culture, Economy, and Development Studies #Family Dynamics and Relationships #Intergenerational and Educational Inequality Studies
paper · doi:10.3368/jhr.0922-12567r3
openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex publication_date 2025/11/04 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
<h3>Abstract</h3> Using harmonized administrative data from Scandinavia, we find that intergenerational rank associations in income have increased uniformly across Sweden, Denmark, and Norway for cohorts born between 1951 and 1979. By gender, father-son mobility remains stable, while correlations for mothers and daughters rise. Similar patterns appear in US survey data, albeit with different timing. We show that the decline in income mobility reflects a stronger link between female income and underlying productivity, rather than stronger intergenerational transmission of human capital or changes in assortative mating. Finally, we show that parent-child correlations increase mainly when women gain access to jobs that match their productivity.