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Title: Intergenerational Mobility in American History: Accounting for Race and Measurement Error

Citation Type: Working Paper

Publication Year: 2019

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Abstract: A large body of evidence suggests that intergenerational mobility in the United States has declined over the past 150 years. However, research that finds high relative mobility in America's past is based on data with few or no black families, and therefore does not account for the limited opportunities available for African Americans. Moreover, historical studies often measure the father's economic status with error, which biases estimates towards greater mobility. Using new early 20 th century data, I show that the persistence of economic status from father to son is over twice as strong after accounting for racial disparities and for measurement error. After addressing these two issues, I estimate that relative mobility has increased over the 20 th century. The results imply that there is greater equality of opportunity today than in the early 20 th century, mostly because opportunity was never that equal.. Thanks to Katherine Eriksson for providing help for testing the robustness to alternative linking methods, and to Lee Alston for helping me to gain access to the historical census files. All errors are my own.

Url: https://www.cbe.anu.edu.au/researchpapers/ceh/WP201910.pdf

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Authors: Ward, Zachary

Series Title: CENTRE FOR ECONOMIC HISTORY THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY DISCUSSION PAPER SERIES

Publication Number: 2019-10

Institution: Australian National University

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Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Population Mobility and Spatial Demography

Countries: United States