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

We recognize that race, gender, and place intersect with and intensify the challenge of economic inequality and we address these dynamics by advancing an inclusive vision of economic justice. For over 25 years, EOP has focused on expanding individuals’ opportunities to connect to quality work, start businesses, and build economic stability that provides the freedom to pursue opportunity.

We collaborate with national and local leaders across the United States – nonprofit leaders, policymakers, labor leaders, business leaders, educators, academics, and more – and we actively seek input and ideas from individuals and communities affected by proposed approaches to address economic opportunity challenges. Through our leadership and fellowship programs; applied research and evaluation; data and analysis; and dialogue with diverse stakeholders, we work at both local and national levels to build understanding and galvanize action to address the challenge of economic opportunity in America.

Join our mailing list and follow us on social media for regular updates on our work.

Job Quality Newsletter — Shared Success
Blog Posts

Job Quality Newsletter — Shared Success

In this edition of our Job Quality Newsletter, we share tools, stories, and strategies to help advisors and business owners take meaningful steps towards better jobs and stronger outcomes.

The Importance of Partnerships in Implementing a Job Quality Strategy
Blog Posts Podcasts
Maureen Conway discusses the unique challenges and opportunities that come from creating large-scale systemic change in our economic and business structures.
Blog Posts Videos

In Session: Maureen Conway

Maureen Conway discusses the unique challenges and opportunities that come from creating large-scale systemic change in our economic and business structures.

Good Jobs, Great Returns: Strengthening Business, Home, and Community
Blog Posts Videos

Good Jobs, Great Returns: Strengthening Business, Home, and Community

Created as part of the Shared Success demonstration by Northern Initiatives in partnership with the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program, this video introduces small business owners to the importance of creating good jobs at their businesses.

How Do We Get There?
Blog Posts

How Do We Get There?

If we want to change how people prove their skills and find jobs, and how employers identify and advance talent, we need a system that makes skill records digital, verifiable, and easy to share.

Upcoming EOP Events Newsletter — June 2025
Blog Posts

Upcoming EOP Events Newsletter — June 2025

Improving job quality doesn’t just benefit workers; it can also strengthen small businesses themselves and the broader communities they serve. Yet, many small business owners lack the resources and knowledge needed to improve the quality of their jobs.

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About the Economic Opportunities Program

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

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More from the Economic Opportunities Program

Foundational Skills: National Survey Findings
Publications

Foundational Skills: National Survey Findings

This publication examines how fragmented skills, credentialing, and workforce data systems limit the potential of skills-based hiring and advancement, and outlines a shared vision for building the interoperable infrastructure needed to create a connected skills ecosystem that benefits workers, employers, educators, and governments.

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Podcasts Videos

What Employee Ownership Means to Workers

This conversation is part of our Opportunity in America series, where we take a look at the economy, what’s working, what’s broken, and really how we fix it to make sure that everyone can succeed in today’s economy.

Resource Roundup: Wages and Affordability
Blog Posts
Room for Growth: A Survey of Upskilling Approaches — 2026 Analysis
Publications

Room for Growth: A Survey of Upskilling Approaches — 2026 Analysis

This publication examines how fragmented skills, credentialing, and workforce data systems limit the potential of skills-based hiring and advancement, and outlines a shared vision for building the interoperable infrastructure needed to create a connected skills ecosystem that benefits workers, employers, educators, and governments.

Building Economic Security: A Book Talk with Arindrajit Dube and Carrie Joy Grimes
Podcasts Videos

Building Economic Security: A Book Talk with Arindrajit Dube and Carrie Joy Grimes

Economic security shouldn’t be a lottery. Yet for millions of working families, stagnant wages and precarious jobs collide with the daily grind of managing money on shaky ground — leaving stability feeling less like a plan and more like a gamble. Fixing that takes more than one lever. It takes structural reform and the tools people need to take control of their financial lives, working together.

What Employee Ownership Means to Workers
Publications

What Employee Ownership Means to Workers

Insights from Focus Groups with Employee Owners