RESEARCH BRIEF | JUNE 2023 - Dreams Deferred: Downward Mobility and

One view in the public imaginary is To adjudicate between these two views of service that service-sector employment is dominated by sector employment, we draw on a novel source of workers who are temporarily in this line of work and survey data collected by the Shift Project in the using it as a source of extra income or as a first rung spring of 2022 from 2,601 workers employed at the on a ladder. [...] out of poverty or a first rung on the ladder of career mobility? Service sector work is sometimes thought These findings highlight that by and large, workers are of as a stepping stone that helps workers get ready aspiring to get by or achieve some sense of stability, to “take the next step” in their careers. [...] Are these workers simply earning hardships, economic insecurity, and a sense of a little money on the side while getting a hand on the “falling behind.” We see that employment in the first rung of the occupational mobility ladder? Or are service sector often fails to guarantee a basic level of these workers struggling to make ends meet, caught economic protection, let alone advancement. [...] This optimism Support likely reflects the sense of many Americans that economic mobility is possible, even as the reality of The authors gratefully acknowledge the excellent current economic circumstances and possibility is to assistance of Connor Williams and Alessandra Soto the contrary for many service sector workers. [...] The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Aging.