Afrasianet - Noureddine Iskandar - More than a third of European citizens face structural barriers to their professional and social advancement, manifested in education, running out of opportunity, hidden discrimination and hierarchical structures in the labour market.

At a time when the European continent is facing increasing structural challenges, related to population ageing, labour market changes and growing pressure on economic and social systems, social mobility is emerging as an essential indispensable element, not only for achieving social justice, but also for ensuring sustainable economic growth and global competitiveness.

A recent in-depth study shows that the pace of social mobility in Europe has slowed significantly over the last decade, leading to an estimated €1.3 trillion economic loss of European GDP. This figure not only reflects a financial loss, but symbolizes the erosion of untapped human potential, and the waste of social capital inherent in marginalized classes.  

The structure of class closure. and the dilemma of economic justice

According to the study's findings, more than a third of European citizens face structural barriers to their professional and social advancement, such as education, lack of opportunity, hidden discrimination, and hierarchical structures in the labour market. This is reflected in a stark gap in unemployment rates: 9.4% for those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, compared to  only 5.3% for those born in richer environments. 

The danger lies not only in the size of the gap, but in its significance: the European economic system, in its current form, does not reward efficiency so much as it reproduces privileges. Opportunities for continuing education and training (essential tools for social advancement) remain concentrated in the hands of the affluent groups, while lower-class children are forced to maintain their jobs under pressure of need, without the ability to engage in paths of self-development.

An Economy Without Justice: A Losing Equation

It is estimated that reducing the labor market participation gap between the low and affluent could lead to  an additional 2.1 million people being integrated into a functioning economy. Assuming that each new job adds an average of €74,000 in value, the additional output could reach €160 billion, a significant figure in the calculations of growth and financial stability.

But the biggest impact lies in turning social mobility into a tool to address the skills crisis, which has become more urgent in Europe since the pandemic. In more than 29 European countries, companies are suffering from a severe talent shortage, as technological and demographic changes accelerate.

Skills gap and poor competency distribution

The great irony is that skilled workers from modest backgrounds, even when they have qualifications and experience, do not get jobs commensurate with their abilities. Class disparity is manifested not only in access to the labor market, but also in quality of opportunity, speed of professional advancement, remuneration, and institutional recognition.

A McKinsey study showed that improving the distribution of skills to reflect true parity among graduates from different social backgrounds could add €590 billion to European GDP by optimizing the use of human resources.

Accelerating the career advancement of marginalized groups (so that their career paths match their well-off peers) would double the added value of high-skilled jobs by 44%, and for medium-to-high jobs by 13%. Taken together, these numbers represent a rare strategic opportunity: growth based on equity, not just expansion.

Survival issue

The core message of the study is that social mobility is no longer a moral luxury or a tool for political embellishment, but rather a structural condition for the recovery of European economies, especially in light of scarce resources, increasing geopolitical pressures, and a shrinking workforce base.

Building policies that encourage social mobility (by ensuring quality education, improving access to training opportunities, and dismantling discriminatory structures in the labor market) can be recognized today not as an option, but as a strategic necessity, just like infrastructure investments or digital transformation.

At a time of changing worlds, Europe's ability to invest its full human potential, from different strata and classes, remains key to the survival of its economic and social model. While options for expansionary fiscal policies are dwindled by debt and inflation constraints, investing in a level playing field is the least costly and cost-effective path.

In other words, social mobility today is not a matter of equity, but of survival.