Tell me where you were born and I will tell you who you will become!

The Italian social elevator, which had appeared immobile for decades, seems to be showing signs of life. This was certified by a study conducted by a trio of Italian economists published in the American Economic Journal: they are Paolo Acciari, an executive at the Ministry of Economy, Alberto Polo of the Bank of England, and Gianluca Violante, a professor of economics at Princeton University. The novelty of the research, compared with previous ones that had described our country as too often lagging behind in social mobility of young people, concerns the unit of measurement presa into consideration: parents’ tax returns (
The Sheet
).

The great asymmetry Comparing the data, the study showed that upward intergenerational mobility also exists in Italy, but in a very fragmented way. There are some areas, particularly in the Northeast, where the chances of earning more than one’s parents increase significantly, even surpassing notoriously more virtuous countries such as the Scandinavians or certain American cities. In the top ten provinces offering the most opportunities are Bolzano, Monza-Brianza and Bergamo (
Linkiesta
).

The great asymmetry The issue becomes more complicated for Southern Italy, where mobility between generations is completely paralyzed, and the family into which one is born remains a determining factor in realizing oneself in society. Those born to affluent parents are 33% more likely to maintain the social status they came from, while a child born to parents in the lowest income brackets is only 11% more likely to reach the highest bracket as an adult. Another determining factor is gender. Indeed, the study data show that upward mobility affects male children much more. A result due to “the low participation of women in the labor market,” Violante explained. The hope is that the Italian Pnrr, with its estimated employment needs of between 3.5 and 3.9 million workers by 2025, can close this odious gap (
Il Sole 24 Ore
).

• Twenty out of 100 do not go to school: Sicily black jersey in Europe (
  Republic
  ).