Key facts
- White working-class boys in England face the worst educational outcomes.
- Distorting the labor market in favor of white working-class boys is not considered the answer.
- Educational attainment is strongly associated with job quality and economic outcomes.
- Individuals without bachelor's degrees have seen declining incomes since the late 1970s.
- A college degree is increasingly necessary for middle-class status.
White working-class boys in England are experiencing the poorest educational outcomes, but a report suggests that manipulating the labor market to their advantage is not the appropriate solution. The analysis, drawing on research from Demos, emphasizes the significant divergence in economic fortunes based on educational attainment, particularly the increasing necessity of a bachelor's degree for achieving middle-class standing.
According to the research, educational level is a strong indicator of job quality and economic success. Since the late 1970s, individuals who have not obtained a bachelor's degree have seen their incomes decline significantly, while those with degrees have experienced real wage growth. The report implies that a college degree is now a prerequisite, though not a guarantee, for entering the professional middle class.
Social scientists commonly define social class through occupation, income, or education. Michael Zweig, a scholar in working-class studies, defines the working class as individuals with comparatively little power or authority in their work, who are closely supervised and have limited control over their tasks. Using occupational data, Zweig estimated the working class to comprise over 60 percent of the labor force. However, the report utilizes educational attainment as its primary definition for class, citing its consistent collection in data sets and its strong correlation with job quality. This definition includes individuals with high school diplomas, some college education, or associate's degrees, as well as the unemployed who are actively seeking work. The middle class is defined as those with a bachelor's degree or higher.