Studies from Federal Reserve Bank in the Area of Economic Development Described (What Goes Up <i> may </i> Come Down: Trends In the Upward and Downward Occupational Mobility of Us Workers): Economics – Economic Development

2026 MAY 27 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Economics Daily Report -- A new study on Economics - Economic Development is now available. According to news reporting originating from Atlanta, Georgia, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “This paper estimates annual upward and downward occupational mobility rates in the United States between 2018 and 2024. The authors find that only 6.6% of workers in the lowest-quality occupations moved into higher-quality occupations.”

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from Federal Reserve Bank, “Conversely, 8.0% of workers in middle-quality occupations moved into lower-quality occupations. To capture trends, the authors estimate annual mobility rates from 2011 onward and find increasing downward mobility through 2018 and increasing upward mobility through 2019. In both series, higher variability was found but little change comparing 2018 and 2024. The authors use multinomial logit regressions to estimate individual characteristics associated with upward and downward occupational mobility. Higher levels of education and younger age are associated with increased transitions to higher-quality occupations and reduced downward occupational transitions.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “The authors find mixed results for race, ethnicity, and gender, with results suggesting the importance of human capital investments and other interventions that promote upward mobility and may prevent downward mobility.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: What Goes Up may Come Down: Trends In the Upward and Downward Occupational Mobility of Us Workers. Economic Development Quarterly, 2026. Economic Development Quarterly can be contacted at: Sage Publications Inc, 2455 Teller Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA.

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Alexander Ruder, Federal Reserve Bank, 1000 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309, United States.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1177/08912424261444980. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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