Economic Opportunities Program Monthly Digest — May 2026

The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program (EOP) advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.

We are pleased to present a selection of our work from the past month.

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Publications

• From Silos to Systems: Building the Skills Ecosystem America Needs by UpSkill America and Alvarez & Marsal.
• Employee Ownership and ESOPs: What We Know from Recent Research by Joseph Blasi and Douglas Kruse, written for the 2026 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum.
• Policy Brief on the Study, “Employee Share Ownership, Management Practices, and Labor Productivity: An Analysis Using Establishment Level Micro-Data from the US Census” by Fidan Ana Kurtulus, Eric Hoyt, Paige Ouimet, Joseph Blasi, Douglas Kruse, Richard Freeman, and William Castellano, written for the 2026 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum.

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Commentary

Presenting our new series of guides to the Job Quality Center of Excellence, by Associate Director Merrit Stüven:

• Re-introducing the Job Quality Center of Excellence
• Explore our Job Quality Topic Guides
• Wages, Scheduling, Benefits: Explore Job Quality by Issue Area
• Resources Curated for Your Organization
• Do you need a 30-page report or a 5-minute tool?

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Videos

What is Shared Success?

Worker- and Community-Led Strategies for a Fairer Economy, featuring Cecilia Behgam (Texas Climate Jobs Project), Kelly Brooks (Civic Works), Maya Ragsdale (Beyond the Bars), Ben Wilkins (Union of Southern Service Workers), and moderator Amanda Fins (The Aspen Institute).

• The Clean Energy Boom: Low Wages, Injuries, and Inequality for Workers by Cecilia Behgam
• From Worker To Change Leader: The Power of Human Centered Design by Kelly Brooks
• Working—but Still Stuck: The Reality after Incarceration by Maya Ragsdale
• Unions in the South: The Untold Story by Ben Wilkins

Reimagining Workforce and Economic Development in the South, featuring Job Quality Fellows Kim Eckert (Craft Education / Western Governors University), Colby Hall (Craft Philanthropy), Daniel Marshall (Alabama Center for Employee Ownership / Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc.), Laurie Mays (Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Foundation), and moderator Matt Helmer (The Aspen Institute).

• From Credentials to Careers: Expanding Opportunity Pathways — Kim Eckert
• Meeting People Where They Are: A New Approach to Workforce Development — Colby Hall
• From Workers to Owners: How Culture Drives Performance — Daniel Marshall
• Employee Ownership in Action: How Worker Ideas Drive Results — Laurie Mays

Leading Change for Skills: Champions Across the Workforce Ecosystem, Leah Palmer (Maricopa County Community College District), Tiffany Mangum (Fresno Housing), and moderator Dee Wallace (Aspen Institute).

• We Stopped Hiring for “Fit” and Started Hiring for Change — Tiffany Mangum
• The “Shoe Test”: If Opportunity Is Real, It Has To Be Doable — Leah Palmer
• We Had to Take A Hard Look at Ourselves — Tiffany Mangum
• Designing Opportunity Around Real Life — Leah Palmer

Investing in Job Quality in the South, featuring Job Quality Fellows Thelma Adams Johnson (Albany Community Together), Sherra Bennett (Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation), Jennifer Epps (The LIFT Fund), Sarah Reed (Metafund Corporation), and moderator Maureen Conway (Aspen Institute).

• People. Places. Possibility. Power: The 4 Ps Framework for Job Quality — Sherra Bennett
• Why Clean Energy Investment Must Create Good Jobs — Jennifer Epps
• Redesigning Work After COVID: Childcare, Flexibility, and Job Quality — Thelma Johnson
• What Makes a Job Worth Investing In? Community Investment and Quality Job Creation — Sarah Reed

When Work Isn’t Enough: Improving Job Quality for ALICE Households, featuring opening remarks from Stephanie Hoopes, Ph.D. (United For ALICE), followed by panel discussions with Sherra Bennett (Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation), Cary Esperanza Dawson (United For ALICE at Work), Elizabeth McDowell (Hamilton County Schools), Allison Pepin (United For ALICE at Work), Jessica Pilcher (United Way of Greater Chattanooga), Lynn White Sohn (UR Medicine Thompson Health), and moderator Matt Helmer (Aspen Institute).

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Podcasts

Investing in Job Quality in the South, featuring Job Quality Fellows Thelma Adams Johnson (Albany Community Together), Sherra Bennett (Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation), Jennifer Epps (The LIFT Fund), Sarah Reed (Metafund Corporation), and moderator Maureen Conway (Aspen Institute).

When Work Isn’t Enough: Improving Job Quality for ALICE Households, featuring opening remarks from Stephanie Hoopes, Ph.D. (United For ALICE), followed by panel discussions with Sherra Bennett (Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation), Cary Esperanza Dawson (United For ALICE at Work), Elizabeth McDowell (Hamilton County Schools), Allison Pepin (United For ALICE at Work), Jessica Pilcher (United Way of Greater Chattanooga), Lynn White Sohn (UR Medicine Thompson Health), and moderator Matt Helmer (Aspen Institute).

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Newsletters

• Resource Roundup: Another Look at AI and Economic Anxiety by Maxwell Johnson
• Upcoming Events — May 2026 by Economic Opportunities Program staff
• Monthly Digest — April 2026 by Economic Opportunities Program staff
• Resource Roundup: Job Quality in the South by Maxwell Johnson

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Upcoming Events

• June 2-3 — Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, Washington DC and online.
• June 3 — Ownership During the AI Revolution, Washington DC and online, part of the Employee Ownership Ideas Forum.

Click here to view more events.