COVID-19 and social mobility

The unprecedented economic and educational shocks of the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 pandemic could inflict long-term damage to young people's prospects in life. There are serious concerns that the pandemic will push Britain's young people under the age of 25 - the 'COVID generation' - into a dark age of declining social mobility because of rising economic and educational inequalities. Without policy action to counter the threat, unprecedented economic and education shocks could inflict long-term 'scarring' effects, damaging future life prospects for young people. Potential scarring effects for the under-25s could result from spells of long-term unemployment and failure to achieve the exam grades needed to pursue the next steps in education or employment. Some economic and educational inequalities are interdependent, reinforcing each other to determine future social mobility levels. We need to develop bold policies both for now and the longer term - to stimulate an economic recovery and with the aim of creating a more socially mobile society.

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