Intergenerational Mobility Trends and the Changing Role of Female Labor

Abstract

Using harmonized administrative data from Scandinavia, we find that intergenerational rank associations in income have increased uniformly across Sweden, Denmark, and Norway for cohorts born between 1951 and 1979. By gender, father-son mobility remains stable, while correlations for mothers and daughters rise. Similar patterns appear in US survey data, albeit with different timing. We show that the decline in income mobility reflects female income more accurately capturing underlying productivity, rather than stronger intergenerational transmission of human capital or changes in assortative mating. Finally, we show parent-child correlations increase mainly when women gain access to jobs that match their productivity.