Per Engzell

I am an Associate Professor of Sociology at UCL Social Research Institute, University College London and the Swedish Institute for Social Research, Stockholm University. I am also an Associate Member of Nuffield College, University of Oxford.

My research focuses on social mobility, where my current interests span labor market dynamics, the legacy of historical institutions, and disequalizing consequences of disruptive events.

Since 2025, I lead Markets and Mobility: How Employers Structure Economic Opportunity, a Starting Grant funded by the European Research Council. I am also the PI of a 3-year project on Employer Pay Disparities in the Swedish Labor Market funded by the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare.

My work has been covered by The Economist, Financial Times, The New York Times, Time Magazine, Newsweek, Washington Post, and other news media. My research on school closures during COVID-19 influenced policy in several countries, was presented at the World Bank, the OECD, and the European Commission, and received the National Academy of Sciences Cozzarelli Prize.

You can reach me at p.engzell@ucl.ac.uk or find me on Bluesky, the only social media platform where I’m active.