Economic Mobility

Is the American Dream Alive and Well?
This report, co-written by John E. Morton and Isabel V. Sawhill, outlines what economic mobility is, why it matters in today’s economy, and why it is important for policy makers to focus on mobility as part of the ongoing national economic debate. The report finds American men now have, on average, 12 percent less income than their fathers’ generation did at the same age. While factors other than cash income contribute to economic mobility, this data challenges the two-century-old presumption that each successive generation will be better off than the one that came before.

EMP American Dream Report