The U.S. has long been heralded as a land of opportunity -- a place where anyone
can succeed regardless of the economic class they were born into.

   But a new report released on Monday by Stanford University's Center on
   Poverty and Inequality calls that into question.

   The report assessed poverty levels, income and wealth inequality, economic
   mobility and unemployment levels among 10 wealthy countries with social
   welfare programs.

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   Among its key findings: the class you're born into matters much more in
   the U.S. than many of the other countries.

   As the report states: "[T]he birth lottery matters more in the U.S. than
   in most well-off countries."

   But this wasn't the only finding that suggests the U.S. isn't quite living
   up to its reputation as a country where everyone has an equal chance to
   get ahead through sheer will and hard work.

   Related: Rich are paying more in taxes but not as much as they used to

   The report also suggested the U.S. might not be the "jobs machine" it
   thinks it is, when compared to other countries.

   It ranked near the bottom of the pack based on the levels of unemployment
   among men and women of prime working age. The study determined this by
   taking the ratio of employed men and women between the ages of 25 and 54
   compared to the total population of each country.

   The overall rankings of the countries were as follows:
   1. Finland
   2. Norway
   3. Australia
   4. Canada
   5. Germany
   6. France
   7. United Kingdom
   8. Italy
   9. Spain
   10. United States

   The low ranking the U.S. received was due to its extreme levels of wealth
   and income inequality and the ineffectiveness of its "safety net" --
   social programs aimed at reducing poverty.

   Related: Chicago is America's most segregated city

   The report concluded that the American safety net was ineffective because
   it provides only half the financial help people need. Additionally, the
   levels of assistance in the U.S. are generally lower than in other
   countries.

   CNNMoney (New York) First published February 1, 2016: 1:28 AM ET
