Family Characteristics and Macroeconomic Factors in U.S. Intragenerational Family Income Mobility, 1978–2014 Family Characteristics and Macroeconomic Factors in U.S. Intragenerational Family Income Mobility, 1978–2014

Education is a key factor in a family’s upward mobility Education is a key factor in a family’s upward mobility

Source: Author’s calculations based on Panel Study of Income Dynamics and TAXSIM.

Note: Each bar’s height indicates the difference in a family’s 10-year percentile gain between having a head (or wife) who, by the beginning of the 10-year period, has attained a college degree as compared with a high school diploma, for families starting at different parts of the family income distribution, controlling for other characteristics and time period.

Becoming married is associated with a rise in income rank Becoming married is associated with a rise in income rank

Source: Author’s calculations based on Panel Study of Income Dynamics and TAXSIM.

Note: Each bar’s height indicates the difference in a family’s 10-year percentile gain between having a head (male or female) who becomes married as compared with staying single, for families starting at different parts of the family income distribution, controlling for other characteristics, other changes, and time period.

Ending a marriage generally impedes women’s mobility and enhances men’s. Ending a marriage generally impedes women’s mobility and enhances men’s.

When a marriage ends during a 10-year period—through divorce, separation, or death—men tend to move up in family income rank during that period, and women tend to move down. Initial family income rank matters, however: Divorcing, separating, or the death of a spouse tends to have negative effects on wealthier men’s income mobility and positive effects for the families of poorer women.

Source: Author’s calculations based on Panel Study of Income Dynamics and TAXSIM.

Note: Each bar’s height indicates the difference in a family’s 10-year percentile gain between having a head (or wife who becomes head of her own family) whose marriage ends as compared with staying married, for families starting at different parts of the family income distribution, controlling for other characteristics, other changes, and time period.

Employment contributes to upward mobility Employment contributes to upward mobility

Families in which the head and wife (if there is one) are working experience greater upward mobility than families with an unemployed or out-of-labor-force head or wife.

Source: Author’s calculations based on Panel Study of Income Dynamics and TAXSIM.

Note: Each bar’s height indicates the difference in a family’s 10-year percentile gain between having a head (or wife) who, at the beginning of the 10-year period, is employed as compared with being unemployed or out of the labor force, for families starting at different parts of the family income distribution, controlling for other characteristics and time period.

Implications Implications