‘Left behind communities’ are facing ‘entrenched disadvantages’ that stretch back decades, according to new research by the Social Mobility Commission.
People growing up today in former industrial and mining heartlands across Wales, Yorkshire, the North East, the Midlands and Scotland are still living with the impacts of deindustrialisation as these regions have faced half a century of economic disadvantage and decline.
The Commission’s annual State of the Nation report, the largest collection and analysis of data on social mobility in the UK, reveals “extreme regional differences” – with some facing much worse conditions of childhood, fewer job opportunities, less innovation and lack of growth determined simply by where they live.
There is increasing concern of the rising number of young people aged 16-24 not in education, employment or training (NEETs) at one in seven (14%) between 2022-2024.
Socio-economic background (SEB) is driving the likelihood of individuals falling into the NEET category, with the rate more than double as high for those of working class, one in five (22%), compared to those of professional backgrounds at 9%.
The ‘disadvantage gap’ for 16-year-olds is still yet to recover from the pandemic, this gap between educational attainment between children of high and low socio-economic backgrounds (SEB) increased during the pandemic and has shown little sign of closing.
More 25-29 year olds are in professional jobs with 48.2% in 2022-24 compared to 36.1% between 2014-16, but the gap between those of privileged and less-privileged backgrounds getting professional jobs has widened from 15% between 2014-16 to 23% between 2022-24
While economic activity for 25-29 year olds has risen to 87.5% in 2022-24, the gap between socio-economic background (SEB) remains.
Women from lower socio-economic backgrounds still continue to face barriers with lower rates of economic activity than women from higher socio-economic backgrounds and males from the same SEBs.
Beacons of hope were identified in the report as having favourable conditions for future innovation and growth with Aberdeen, Brighton, Bristol, Cheshire West and Chester, Edinburgh, Oxfordshire, Reading,West Berkshire and Manchester, being described as models for attracting “international businesses and highly-skilled migrants”.
Comparisons in the report show the UK stands alongside countries like France and Japan in offering young people a good chance to exceed their parents' educational achievement.
The UK has similar job mobility rates to other major Western European countries, such as Germany and Sweden, which have seen fewer people moving on to better jobs as the growth in professional roles has slowed down.
Alun Francis, Chair of the Social Mobility Commission, said:
“It is part of the cycle of innovation and economic development that opportunities move around. But in our country they have become over-concentrated in specific places. Far too many live and grow up in communities where opportunity has become very limited and outcomes are poor. We are seeing signs of positive change — with cities like Bristol, Edinburgh and Manchester showing what is possible — but the pace of change needs to be quicker and the scale much bigger.
“In the meantime, entire communities, often in post-industrial, seaside towns have been left behind with deep-rooted disadvantages. This is the defining social mobility challenge of our generation and our State of the Nation report captures the issues that we as a nation need to address.”
