The number one firm was PwC, followed by Grant Thornton in third position and KPMG in fourth slot in the Social Mobility Employer Index. EY also appeared in the ranking at 27th.

The Index, created by the Social Mobility Foundation, ranks the UK’s employers that have taken the most action to improve social mobility in the workplace. The list is dominated by professional services, particularly law firms and consultancies.

This is the third time PwC has topped the ranking since it was set up in 2017, demonstrating the firm's commitment to ensure the recruitment process is open to talent from all social backgrounds. 

Kevin Ellis, senior partner at PwC, said: ‘Social mobility, or lack of social mobility, is not only a societal issue but an issue for business and the economy. If opportunity narrows, labour markets shrink and workforces become one-dimensional. We’ve seen first hand the benefits of improving the diversity of our workforce - and are committed to doing more.’

In the last academic year PwC supported over 17,000 secondary school students from lower social economic background and social mobility target schools with skills development. This included inviting over 2,600 into PwC’s offices to show them the opportunities available and support them in developing skills such as communication, teamwork and business acumen. Over 200 students from across the UK joined the firm’s New World, New Skills paid work experience week, all of whom met social mobility criteria.

Mid tier firm Grant Thornton was ranked third this year and said improving social mobility was a board priority.

Jenn Barnett, head of inclusion and diversity at Grant Thornton, said: ‘As part of our firm’s ongoing commitment to creating an inclusive environment to grow, we continue to advance our efforts in making opportunities accessible to people from low socio-economic backgrounds and removing potential barriers to progression. 

‘Inclusion and diversity in our firm is more important than ever. Our work in this space is enriching our firm, our industry and equipping us to engage our clients in meaningful conversations about how they can also accelerate their social impact.’

Grant Thornton uses social mobility cold spots in England to target outreach work, reaching young people in areas where the need for support is highest, provides support and coaching for young people through a range of schemes such as Access Accountancy, RISE and the Amos Bursary, and offers different entry routes into the firm for people of all backgrounds with an increased focus on school leavers and apprenticeships.

Fourth in the ranking was KPMG, reflecting the importance of breaking down barriers to the accountancy profession.

KPMG chair Bina Mehta said: ‘We are proud of the achievements we’ve made in recent years, including publishing our socio-economic background pay gap in 2021 and setting stretching targets, and launching new commitments to give one million young people the opportunity to develop their skills by 2030 as part of our “Opening Doors to Opportunities” initiative this year. We recognise there is more to do and are committed to play our part.’

The index assesses employers across seven key areas, including their work with young people, routes into the company, how they attract talent, recruitment and selection, data and advocacy, and progression opportunities.

Social Mobility Employer Index 2023