When conversations around social mobility arise, the focus often lands on income, job roles or access to opportunities. One key element is frequently overlooked: how individuals perceive their own place in society.
Recent data from Kintris, drawn from confidential self-reports on perceived socio-economic status, paints a compelling picture. Individuals tend to rate their standing in society higher as their level of education increases. This relationship between education and perceived status is not just symbolic, it reveals much about how societies value learning, opportunity and inclusion.
At Kintris, we believe that true inclusion starts with understanding how people experience their place in the world, not just where they work, but where they feel they belong within society as a whole. Through our platform, employees are invited to confidentially self-report their perceptions of various factors, including socio-economic status, in a safe, trusted space.
A clear divide in perceived status
Our aggregated, anonymised data shows a significant divide in perceived socio-economic status based on education level. High school graduates report the lowest perceived status, significantly lower than all other education groups. Vocational and apprenticeship-trained individuals also rate themselves low, no different from high school graduates, despite often holding skilled roles. This pattern echoes global research showing that perceived status is a strong predictor of mental wellbeing, confidence and engagement.
When certain education routes lead to lower perceived value, the system implicitly says you do not belong at the top. Inclusion means ensuring all pathways carry dignity.
Inclusion begins when every person, regardless of education path, feels they have moved forward and knows they belong.
Higher education, higher perceived belonging
Respondents with Bachelor's, Master's, professional or doctorate degrees report consistently higher self-rated status. This is not just about income, it is about identity. These insights align with findings from IFAU, which show that education has a psychological impact on perceived mobility, shaping how people engage with institutions, employers and opportunities.
Gaps in perception, gaps in inclusion
When employees perceive themselves as lower status based on their education, regardless of their performance or role, they may disengage or hesitate to speak up. This is a silent barrier to inclusion. Recent psychological research shows that low perceived mobility triggers zero-sum thinking, distrust and resignation and our data suggests this perception begins early, often tied to education.
Why it matters beyond the workplace
While these insights come from workplace data, the implications reach far beyond HR. Governments, educators and business leaders all need to ask whether all education paths are socially recognised, not just economically useful and whether our systems signal value and belonging or just achievement. As the OECD warns, even strong vocational systems struggle with societal bias toward university pathways. Closing that perception gap matters if we want real equity.
Final thought
At Kintris, we are not just measuring demographics. We are measuring perception, identity and experience, because that is what true inclusion is built on. When an employee confidentially tells us how they feel about their social standing, they are giving us a powerful insight into the human side of mobility.