Background still holding our young people back

RECENT research from Queen Mary University and the Institute for Employment Studies has shown that despite the growth in those going to university, professional jobs are still less likely to be taken by people from less privileged backgrounds.

- DAVE PIKE

For the North East, these results bite twice as hard, as we see difficult data on social mobility and education outcomes across the region.

For those who do make it as lawyers, journalists or accountants, income potential is lower for those from a poorer background, compared to their more privileged colleagues.

It affects more than pay: terms and conditions are worse across the board, and they are less likely to progress.

The authors of this research state that socioeconomic background remains the biggest indicator of future earnings.