In an article published in journal Public Sector Economics, Georgios Kitsoleris and Tuan Luong examined occupational and employment mobility in Greece during the past decade of crisis, revealing a trend of downward intra-generational mobility, polarization in middle-paid professions, and the growing issue of overeducation, with education playing a central role in social mobility. 

Building on these findings, Georgios Kitsoleris (De Montfort University, UK) and Sara Čulo (Institute of Public Finance, Croatia) expand the analysis in a comparative study of Croatia and Greece, shedding light on key similarities and differences in the educational systems and their broader societal impacts.

At a virtual presentation on May 26, 2025, organized by the Institute of Public Finance, Kitsoleris and Čulo presented preliminary findings from their research, in which they investigate the role of education across various dimensions – both occupational and educational – of social mobility over recent decades in both countries. 

Their analysis reveals a declining trend in upward educational mobility in both Croatia and Greece. The findings suggest that a higher parental occupational skill level increases likelihood that their children will find a position in the most prestigious occupations. The significance of education is further underscored: individuals with more highly educated parents are more likely to complete tertiary education and to achieve upward occupational mobility. Although educational inequalities in access to tertiary education have decreased in both countries, they remain present.

A presentation and a recording of this interesting lecture are available.