@ucstonecenter.bsky.social
The Stone Center for Research on Wealth Inequality and Mobility advances interdisciplinary research on the origins and nature of contemporary inequalities. https://stonecenter.uchicago.edu/
@ucstonecenter.bsky.socialHad the data stopped after a generation or two, assuming fixed mobility would have painted a misleading picture. Six generations revealed the shift. The authors call for more multigenerational datasets in future research.
@ucstonecenter.bsky.socialBefore 1850, mobility was converging toward a steady state. Around 1850, that pattern broke, and instability set in until the dynasty fell, a timing that coincides with the Opium Wars and the Taiping Rebellion.
@ucstonecenter.bsky.socialTo see this, the authors follow Liaoning families across six generations. Using Markov chain methods, they measure mobility two ways: how often children change class and how long a family's class origin continues to shape descendants' outcomes.
@ucstonecenter.bsky.socialThe catch? People weren't just moving more. After the 1870s, upward mobility gave way to downward mobility (see Figure 4(d) below). From 1786 to 1906, the chance of moving up fell from 47% to 19%, while the chance of moving down rose from 7% to 51%.
@ucstonecenter.bsky.socialIn the last 130 years of China’s Qing Dynasty, aggregate intergenerational mobility increased.
A working paper from our postdoc and job market candidate @butaevak.bsky.social, with @durlauf.bsky.social & Alexander Shapoval, reveals a more complicated story.
Keep reading🧵⬇️
bit.ly/3VAXLsE
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@ucstonecenter.bsky.socialIntroducing Inequality Insights!
Your curated source for the latest research, events, and ideas on economic disparities and social mobility from @ucstonecenter.bsky.social.
Explore the first edition → email.harris.uchicago.edu/-temporary-s...
@ucstonecenter.bsky.socialOverpopulation has been the big worry for decades. So why should we care about population decline?
Economist @mikegeruso.bsky.social makes the case for people: fewer people means fewer ideas, smaller markets, and less capacity to solve big problems.
Listen now → bit.ly/4y5Y9Nd
@harrispolicy.bsky.socialReposted by @ucstonecenter.bsky.socialIn @apnews.com, @durlauf.bsky.social of @ucstonecenter.bsky.social explains why the record-low official poverty rate needs context. The supplemental measure accounts for food aid, health care, housing, and other costs, giving a fuller picture of what families have. https://har.rs/46P9DcT
@ucstonecenter.bsky.socialWhen upward mobility starts to feel like a threat, the American Dream becomes a tournament.
In an essay for @chicagotribune.com, Center Advisor Ariel Kalil says parents are right to worry about their children's futures, but the instinct to hoard opportunities is misguided.
Read: bit.ly/3U9dD55
@ucstonecenter.bsky.socialWho gets ahead? Who gets left behind? And what role do institutions, identity & privilege play? The Inequality Workshop returns to UChicago for 2026–27 to explore these questions and more with data and evidence.
Fall registration: forms.gle/5ZXg59URmDRv...
Sign up for updates: bit.ly/4f09cBu
@ucstonecenter.bsky.socialA well-deserved honor for Ellora Derenoncourt: the Stone Center Affiliate has been named a 2026 MacArthur Fellow for her research into the historical roots of racial disparities in wealth and economic mobility.
Read the announcement: www.macfound.org/fellows/clas...
@ucstonecenter.bsky.socialAmericans have become wealthier without becoming happier.
Researchers use a time-allocation model to find that while we may know what we enjoy, we may not fully understand what makes us happy. This can lead to underinvestment in activities that build lasting well-being.
Read → bit.ly/4zpThDR
@ucstonecenter.bsky.social@durlauf.bsky.social tells Money.com that the current level of wealth inequality is “unhealthy” for the U.S. economy and society.
“Successful economic growth and innovation can be preserved with much smaller disparities.”
Read now: money.com/us-billionai...
@ucstonecenter.bsky.socialProud to share that our postdoctoral scholar @butaevak.bsky.social is on the Economics job market this year! 🎉 Read her paper linked below, and stay tuned for more on her research in the coming weeks!
@ucstonecenter.bsky.socialCheck out Center Affiliate Yana Gallen's new NBER paper!
@ucstonecenter.bsky.socialBefore 1960, college paid off the same for rich and poor kids––now it doesn't.
When Zachary Bleemer went looking for why, the answer wasn't what he expected. He breaks down three things that have changed on this week's Inequality Podcast.
Listen here: bit.ly/3V609XY
@ucstonecenter.bsky.socialLearn more about Butaeva's research: kobutaeva.github.io
Learn more about Disch's research: luciennedisch.github.io
@ucstonecenter.bsky.socialFor National Postdoc Appreciation Week, we’re highlighting @butaevak.bsky.social and Lucienne Disch, whose research and intellectual contributions are an important part of what we do. Their scholarship helps shape the questions we ask and the knowledge we produce here at the Stone Center.
@ucstonecenter.bsky.social🌎 What does it mean to earn success, and does the answer depend on where you live?
From college admissions to social mobility, Whither Meritocracy? Part Two: Meritocracy Across the Globe explores how societies and institutions define merit—and who gets rewarded for it.
📚 Out now: bit.ly/4AmNYGc
