Socio-Economic Mobility of Youths: Factors, Obstacles, and Potential Solutions

Abstract

From early childhood to young adulthood, there are several key obstacles to the ability of a young person to improve his or her socioeconomic status. These include availability of quality early childhood education, level of peer support during adolescence, secondary school funding and quality, and skills development and job matching as a young adult. This article explores the dynamics of these critical obstacles, analyzes initiatives that are successfully helping young people overcome these obstacles around the world, and makes policy suggestions to create a society in which young people have strong opportunities to fulfill their potentials and advance socioeconomically. The article focuses on socioeconomic mobility of young people specifically in the United States, though it draws on examples of successful models from all over the globe.