Excerpt:
In a newly-released MEI ranking on the determinants of social mobility – referring to one’s ability to climb-up the socio-economic ladder – no Canadian province scored a 60 per cent or above.
“Social mobility is what makes the difference between having agency in moving up the income ladder, or being stuck in inherited poverty,” said Justin Callais, associate researcher at the MEI, chief economist at the Archbridge Institute and co-author of the report. “While some barriers are not directly linked to government policies, many are and we hope governments will use this ranking as a guidemap on how to improve their score.”
The researcher explains that barriers to social mobility can be confined into two categories called natural and artificial barriers.
Natural barriers can be conceived as structural or inherited barriers. Examples would include a lack of social capital or situations of childhood poverty. While governments can play a role in limiting or exacerbating them, that role is indirect.
Artificial barriers can be conceived as resulting directly from government policy and other government actions. Examples would include occupational licensing, educational quality and school choice, as well as taxation.
Read the full article at the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI).
Read Barriers to Social Mobility Across Canada here.
Montreal Economic Institute (MEI)
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