On MLK day, the American Dream is much easier to achieve in Canada (and 26 other countries)

Have you ever thought about how talent mobility might be impacted by social mobility? Who we move is defined by their ability to move within society. The people that we move are seeking opportunity in a system that seems to be offering them a chance at "their next step down a career path."

Maybe ironic that the phrase "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" may not only be nonsense, it really represents something that is likely an impossibility in most places around the world.  

The 2020 World Economic Forum's Global Social Mobility Index report looks at 82 different countries and considers their citizen's ability to achieve their potential regardless of socio-economic backgrounds. Just published, this year's revelation is that there are only a handful of nations that have the right conditions for fostering social mobility. Global income inequality is a real thing. The majority of countries fall seriously short when it comes to offering their poorest citizens things like fair wages, social protection, good working conditions and opportunities for lifelong learning.  

The five dimensions that the report evaluates are:

1. health
2. education
3. technology access
4. work
5. protections and institutions

According to the report, the reality is that "children who are born into less affluent families typically experience greater barriers to success than their more affluently born counterparts. Furthermore, inequalities are rising even in countries that have experienced rapid growth."

The nations that performed the best in this index are ones that combine quality education by offering equitable access, while also providing work opportunities and good working conditions. The highest rated countries have more inclusive institutions and provide social protections that help to guarantee income and access to healthcare, provide unemployment support, disability benefits, etc. This is something that the United Nations looks at year after year in their report and here is the latest: "World social situation 2019: shaping the future of inequality."

So which countries are ranked the highest? The Nordic countries! Here is the top 10:

1. Denmark
2. Norway
3. Finland
4. Sweden
5. Iceland
6. Netherlands
7. Switzerland
8. Austria
9. Belgium
10. Luxembourg

The fact that Canada came in at 14th while the United States does not show up until 27th, provides the backdrop for the title of the article that "The American Dream is much easier to achieve in Canada." I would love to hear more about what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would have to say on this topic.