Melanie Häner-Müller, an economist specializing in social mobility, income inequality, and economic policy, joins me to break down how opportunity is shaped by history, policy, and perception. As the head of Social Policy at the Institute for Swiss Economic Policy (IWP) in Lucerne, Melanie has researched Switzerland’s welfare system, education policies, and economic mobility, with her work widely published and featured in major media.
Expect to learn what social mobility really means, how it’s measured, and why Switzerland performs better than expected in income mobility but lags in educational mobility. Melanie explains why high social policies don’t always translate into greater mobility, how Switzerland compares to countries like Germany, Sweden, and the U.S., and whether mobility naturally slows down in wealthier nations. We also discuss the difference between absolute and relative social mobility—and why it matters in economic debates.
This is part one of my conversation with Melanie, where we explore the forces shaping social mobility in Switzerland. Stay tuned for part two, where we dive into income and wealth inequality.
CONTACT MELANIE
linkedin.com/in/melanie-haener
CONTACT MIKE
https://howitticks.ch/contact-page/
TRANSCRIPT
https://howitticks.ch/podcast/social-mobility-wealth-inequality/
TIMESTAMPS
02:00 Defining social mobility—how family background influences opportunities
09:45 How social mobility is measured and key historical trends
17:10 Switzerland vs. other countries
24:50 The role of education and Switzerland’s dual education system in mobility
30:30 The impact of immigration on social mobility
