Economic Mobility Experiences: Investing in Opportunities that Create Economic Prosperity in Central Iowa
Economic mobility, a measure of growth in income or wealth, has been in decline in the U.S. for decades. While 93% of children born in the 1940s out earned their parents, fewer than half of those born in the 1980s could say the same. Reviving economic mobility is about more than individual opportunity; it’s about driving economic growth, strengthening communities, reducing inequities, and ensuring prosperity for future generations. With its strong culture of regional collaboration, Central Iowa is well positioned to lead by investing strategically and advancing solutions that expand opportunity for all.
Through a collaborative event with UpLift, Capital Crossroads, and the Camber Collective attendees joined an informative community conversation about what current research has identified to be the most impactful strategies to achieve economic mobility. Attendees learned more about how current investments support these strategies.
Check out the recording of the event!
Download the Event’s Resources
Creating Economic Mobility Experiences in Central Iowa
This publication takes the Economic Mobility Experiences framework and applies it to our Central Iowa work plans and current initiatives that our community has already identified and committed to support. Case studies are provided by By Degrees, Simpson College, and other local organizations.
Life Experiences that Impact Economic Mobility
Mobility Experiences are life experiences that can significantly impact a person’s lifetime income. By combining findings from over 230 research studies with the lived experiences of over 4,000 Americans, we found strong evidence for 28 such experiences. These occur across varied phases of life, from birth and childhood to adolescence and adulthood, and can be organized into six domains. While we evaluate their impact on economic success (i.e. lifetime income), many also impact individuals’ sense of power, autonomy, or connection and belonging to their communities.
Framework created by Camber Collective
Check out Camber Collective’s Economic Mobility Research
Part 1: Life Experiences that Power Economic Mobility
Despite a decades-long decline in economic mobility in the United States, many Americans, according to our national survey, still believe that upward mobility is common—that people and households constrained by low incomes are eventually able to earn a high income.
Promoting economic mobility for all is not only critical to protecting the lives and livelihoods of Americans but also to supporting economic growth and maintaining democratic stability. This report offers insights into 28 “mobility experiences” in one’s life that have significant impact on lifetime income—and as a result—economic mobility.
Part 2: Americans’ Perspectives on Economic Mobility
Economic mobility in the United States has been stunted by wealth and wage inequalities and structural barriers that limit access to opportunity for millions of Americans.
This report expands upon findings presented in the first report of this series, Life Experiences that Power Lifetime Income, where we introduced 28 life experiences—or Mobility Experiences—with strong evidence of impact on lifetime income. As the second installment in the three-part series, this report aims to: (1) Elevate the perspectives of Americans who are experiencing, or have formerly experienced, poverty, and (2) Identify opportunities to better meet the needs and preferences of the people who stand to benefit most.
Part 3: Federal and Philanthropic Funding Trends in Economic Mobility
Annually, trillions of dollars from the federal government and philanthropic institutions have the potential to support Americans in accessing the Mobility Experiences. However, funding could be more optimally directed toward the Mobility Experiences proven to have greatest impact on income or prioritized by the most economically excluded.
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