A new paper by Martha Stinson and Christopher Wignall found that 9.6 percent of working-age men were working for their dad in 2010. The likelihood of nepotistic opportunism was related to class, generally climbing with the father’s income.
This is just a “snapshot,” writes Matt O’Brien for the Washington Post. It’s just one year. If we consider whether men have ever worked for their dads, the numbers get much higher. More than a quarter of men spend at least some time working for the same company as their fathers before their 30th birthday. O’Brien also cites a study by economist Miles Corak revealing that 70 percent of sons of the one percent in Canada have worked at the same place as their dad.
As O’Brien says: “The easiest way to get your foot in the door is for your dad to hold it open for you.”
This post originally appeared on Sociological Images, a Pacific Standard partner site, as “Chart of the Week: Rich Kids More Likely to Be Working for Dad.”
