Kya Christensen, Research and Policy Officer at Making The Leap
I started working as Research and Policy Officer at Making The Leap in October 2025, after nearly two years working in the Engagement Team. In my previous role as Engagement Lead, I worked directly with young people from less advantaged backgrounds who were seeking work. Speaking with them and learning firsthand about the challenges they faced when trying to enter the labour market, which provided me with valuable insights into the barriers experienced by so many young people across the UK. This understanding supports the passion I bring to my research and policy work at Making The Leap.
In my new role, my main responsibilities are to conduct and review research about social mobility and youth employment, to inform Making The Leap’s evidence-based policy positions in these areas. As part of this work, I recently reviewed an important research report from McKinsey & Co: Breaking the standstill: How social mobility can boost Europe’s economy. The report highlights the stagnation of social mobility in recent years, and demonstrates how improving social mobility could significantly strengthen the UK and Europe’s economic performance. In this blog, I share my highlights from McKinsey’s research, along with other key evidence on what employers can do to advance social mobility.
What is social mobility?
Social mobility is typically defined as creating opportunities for individuals from less advantaged socio-economic backgrounds (LSEBs) to become more economically successful. For Making The Leap, social mobility means taking action to enable people from LSEBs to develop the skills, confidence, networks and opportunities needed to succeed. We believe that where someone begins in life should not determine where they end up. By focusing on social mobility and removing systemic barriers, we can ensure that individuals from LSEBs realise their full potential.
What is the current state of social mobility in the UK?
In the UK, being born to a low-income family continues to have a significant influence on later life outcomes, with a strong link between parental income and a child’s future earnings. For people from LSEBs, barriers arise at every stage – from education through to recruitment, employment and progression.
The COVID-19 pandemic further widened these inequalities. For example, pupils from lower income backgrounds experienced greater learning losses than their more advantaged peers during the pandemic. We see similar trends in the labour market, with young people from LSEBs now three times more likely to be unemployed than their more advantaged peers. Even once in work, their career progression is slower: employees from LSEBs take 19% longer to advance in their roles, highlighting systemic barriers across the employment cycle.
Why should UK employers improve social mobility?
There are strong economic and social incentives for UK businesses to prioritise social mobility. Economically, greater social mobility can drive significant growth. Improving social mobility could increase the combined GDP of EU-27 countries by 9%, fuelled by accelerating productivity with greater workforce participation, better skills matching, higher consumer spending, and fewer talent constraints on corporate growth. Additionally, businesses that promote socio-economic diversity and inclusive decision-making benefit from better business outcomes up to 87% of the time.
Socially, businesses play a crucial role in providing quality employment for individuals from LSEBs. Good quality employment – which provides financial security, job stability, and career progression opportunities – is a vital building block for social mobility. By embedding social mobility into business practices, employers can create more inclusive, meritocratic and productive workplaces. Businesses that take responsibility for reducing socio-economic barriers therefore contribute not only to individual opportunity but to a stronger, fairer economy.
What are UK employers doing to improve social mobility?
Many UK businesses are already taking action to promote social mobility through their outreach, recruitment, retention and progression activities. However, at Making The Leap’s latest Social Mobility Business Seminar, senior business leaders reflected that momentum on social mobility has slowed over the past year, signalling the need for renewed focus and commitment.
Representing a range of employment sectors, panellists at the Social Mobility Business Seminar outlined several priority areas where businesses should concentrate their efforts driving progress:
- Targeted investment: Businesses should invest in creating meaningful pathways for young people from LSEBs.
- Outreach and community engagement: By forming meaningful partnerships and hosting external events, businesses can inspire the next generation to pursue a range of careers.
- Retention and progression: There needs to be a greater emphasis on closing the progression gap in organisations, to ensure employees from LSEBS are supported to advance in their careers.
- Recognise skill sets and not qualifications: Businesses should value practical skills and potential over traditional routes, to ensure equitable access to job opportunities.
Conclusion
Social mobility remains a significant challenge in the UK, with persistent inequalities shaping education, employment, and lifelong outcomes for individuals from LSEBs. The evidence shows that social mobility has stalled, particularly following the pandemic.
However, employers hold significant power to drive meaningful change, from embedding social mobility into their strategies and inclusive recruitment practices to ensuring fair progression opportunities for all. Committing to social mobility allows businesses to unlock diverse talent, strengthen decision-making, and contribute to a more inclusive and dynamic economy. Advancing social mobility is therefore not just a moral imperative: it is a strategic and economic opportunity for UK businesses and society as a whole. Sustained action from employers will be essential to build a fairer and stronger society – one where everyone, regardless of background, has the chance to succeed.
If you’re already taking action on social mobility, enter the UK Social Mobility Awards 2026 and gain recognition for your work. Or if you’re not sure how to get started, check out Making The Leap’s latest social mobility research report for inspiration from other employers’ best practice.
