Study: Class Ceiling Limits Working-Class Access to Elite Professions

A new study of college professors indicates that socioeconomic background—being from a working-class family—poses a barrier to entry and advancement in elite academic occupations, comparable to or exceeding gender or race effects. The finding suggests that class-based disadvantage persists in high-status professions despite diversity efforts. This matters for labor market dynamics and social mobility, potentially influencing policy debates on inequality.